6

This is a two-part question. A lot of British South Asian that are born and bred in the UK have a peculiar accent. It's very different than the familiar Indian accent too. So my question is...

Is there any other way to describe the accent? I found some describe it as ghetto but I'm not sure if it's the right word.

Secondly, what's the origin of the accent and what makes it different? Perhaps few examples with etymology would best explain.

A bit of a context, I'm British South Asian myself and I don't understand why so many speak the way they do. I understand not all speak that way and some even can switch between the two. However I'm unsure if the concept exists in other English speaking country.

Here is an example of the accent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCk6fSQ21rY

|improve this question
  • 2
    Young British Asians are changing the way they speak in formal contexts, according to new research: theguardian.com/media/mind-your-language/2010/dec/16/… – user240918 Dec 18 '18 at 9:32
  • 2
    If I knew exactly what the peculiarity is, I wouldn't be asking the question. I know there is a difference but unsure exactly how. If you don't know what it is either then please leave it to those who does and can answer the question. – akbar hussain Dec 18 '18 at 10:42
  • 2
    In my experience most British people of Asian descent, born in Britain, adopt the local regional accent of the place where they live. Turban-wearing Sikhs in Birmingham often sound just like Brummies. They may carry vestiges of Asian accent and idiom which they have picked up from their parents, but by and large it seems we learn our accents from our peers. My grandson, born in Manchester, began his speaking career with a Lancashire lilt. But at the age of ten they moved to the Birmingham area, and hearing him now you wouldn't think he had spent a day of his life outside of the Midlands. – WS2 Dec 18 '18 at 11:40
  • 3
    This is a question about British sociolinguistics and should probably be asked on Linguistics SE, where somebody may know something about the current state of sociophonetic research among second- and third-generation S.Asian immigrants. I know that some must be going on, but I know nothing of the details. By the way, to answer the question, the correct way to describe it is phonetically. Giving it fanciful names from other cultures like "ghetto" is not helpful and may be harmful. – John Lawler Dec 18 '18 at 14:59
  • 1
    Please consider opening a second question to refer to the second question, since it may be hard to select a single answer concerning both questions. Your second question might be better placed over at the Linguistics Stack Exchange using the tags "phonology" and "accent". – A Lambent Eye Dec 18 '18 at 16:32

Your Answer

By clicking "Post Your Answer", you acknowledge that you have read our updated terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy, and that your continued use of the website is subject to these policies.

Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.