18-02-2019, 10:15 AM
1
Dialect Test
This quiz in the New York Times no less tries to guess where you come from in 25 Questions, it was spot on for me with Newcastle Upon Tyne which I suppose is a more distinctive accent....https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...lect-quiz.html
18-02-2019, 11:00 AM
3
Re: Dialect Test
That was interesting!Ok, so draw a line from the Wash to Devon and it had me south/southeast of that line. That is correct, if not very specific!
To be fair, I have moved about that area a bit, and the places I grew up were darker coloured within that area.
It was an intriguing thing to do, though.
I also did the extra thing, which gives them more data to pinpoint people with.
The trouble is that with all the communication we have these days, and with all the moving around people do, and television etc., people can pick up idioms that are nothing to do with their origins!
There's nowt so queer as folk!
I rest my case!
18-02-2019, 11:16 AM
5
Re: Dialect Test
Originally Posted by DWebb
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This quiz in the New York Times no less tries to guess where you come from in 25 Questions, it was spot on for me with Newcastle Upon Tyne which I suppose is a more distinctive accent....https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...lect-quiz.html
I found it to come up with what I'd find predictable: West Riding and North Lancashire (excluding Manchester and Liverpool).
To be realistic, I am conscious that my language has changed as I have grown up and moved around so for that reason, when taking part, I tried to remember the sort of words I would have used when I was a young lad in Bradford. Naturally, I took after my dad in my speech.
A good friend, who lives in Huddersfield, is more Yorkshire in his speech and, for example, uses the word "nesh" whereas I use (and used) "freezing".
Nevertheless, I suspect our respective areas on the resultant maps would have been very similar.
18-02-2019, 11:23 AM
7
Re: Dialect Test
Originally Posted by Pyxell
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That was interesting!Ok, so draw a line from the Wash to Devon and it had me south/southeast of that line. That is correct, if not very specific!
To be fair, I have moved about that area a bit, and the places I grew up were darker coloured within that area.
These days, people move around a lot more than they used to do and interact with people in different areas, so it isn't surprising that their own language changes.
I feel that is a bit of a shame, really, as our very diverse accents and dialects made our language particularly interesting on an historical level.
Had this 'survey' been done a couple of centuries ago, or even as little as a hundred years, I'm sure the results would have been far more specific in most people's cases.
I've even heard it said that long ago a person might have even found it difficult to understand what was said by a person from a village only a few tens of miles away!
I understand that some universities (Leeds is one) have done some scientific research on the matter and been able to delve back in history through various means.
I'd be very interested to see their research findings, should they be made public.
18-02-2019, 11:41 AM
9
Re: Dialect Test
Originally Posted by Longdogs
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It correctly identified East London for me although tbh, I was answering as I might have done 40 years ago, or how my parents would pronounce words. I did try going further but realised there were 100 questions.
One of my massive hates is when sweets are called candy, and when biscuits are called cookies.
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