Conversation in Armagh about accent, dialect and attitudes to language.
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BBC Voices Recordings
Armagh, County Armagh
Bailey, Brendan, 1943 July 14- (speaker, male), Shortall, Peter, 1945 Nov. 09- (speaker, male), Vallely, Dara, 1946 Aug. 30- (speaker, male)
Garrett, Conor, 1972 May 08- (speaker, male)
[00:00:00] Story about taking tea to drink while working out in the harvest fields, mention words used to mean â€˜packed lunchâ€™. Speakers introduce themselves, mention where they have lived. Discussion of words used to describe WEATHER AND SURROUNDINGS. [00:10:53] Discussion about language related to farming. Discussion of words used to describe PEOPLE AND THINGS. Discussion about how children change their speech while theyâ€™re at school, various features of local speech, being corrected by teachers at school. [00:23:03] Continuation of discussion of words used to describe PEOPLE AND THINGS. Mention words used to mean â€˜father/parentsâ€™. [00:34:54] Discussion of words used to describe PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES. Mention word used to describe people in a derogatory way, words used to mean â€˜annoyed/to rain heavily/drunkâ€™ that all relate to â€˜pissedâ€™. Discussion about how they would have described girls they liked in the past. [00:47:38] Discussion about how speech has changed over time. Mention words used to mean â€˜richâ€™. Discussion about attitudes towards wealth in local area, class system and what distinguished wealthier people in the past. Mention words used to mean â€˜lacking moneyâ€™. Discussion about how local area has changed over time. Mention words used to mean â€˜insaneâ€™. [01:05:15] Continuation of discussion of words used to describe WEATHER AND SURROUNDINGS. Discussion about being dependant on the weather when farming, talking about the weather, being able to predict the weather. [01:11:37] Discussion of words used to describe ACTIONS. [01:14:02] Discussion of words used to describe EMOTIONS. Discussion about how her speech changed after moving to England, changing her pronunciation of â€˜filmâ€™, what they think about their own speech after moving away from the area where they grew up. How accent varies across Northern Ireland, use of Irish/Scottish words in local speech, use of â€˜wildâ€™ to mean â€˜veryâ€™. [01:27:33] Discussion about linguistic/cultural/farming differences between Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, her awareness of the border while she was growing up. How local speech has been affected by close proximity to Irish-speaking part of Republic of Ireland. [01:35:32] Continuation of discussion of words used to describe EMOTIONS. [01:38:35] Discussion of words used to describe CLOTHING. Mention words used to mean â€˜jumper/to playâ€™. [01:41:45] Discussion about their own speech, how they feel about it, changing their speech in different situations/when talking to different people. Learning in Irish at school in the past but speaking English at home, children learning in Irish at school now, young people disliking their Irish accent, being more proud of his accent as he gets older. Feeling like their accent was inferior to Queenâ€™s English in the past, how other people reacted to her accent when she moved to England in the past, being happy with her speech, proud of being Northern Irish.
BBC warning: this interview contains strong or offensive language. Recording made for BBC Voices project of a conversation guided by a BBC interviewer. The conversation follows a loose structure based on eliciting opinions about accents, dialects, the words we use and people's attitude to language. The three interviewees are all friends and members of the Armagh Rhymers Group, a traditional mummers' society.