THE COCKNEY ACCENT
Phonetical features that differ from RP a)Vowels:
- [i:] [i:]
([mi:] [mi:])
- [u:] [u]
([du:] [du])
- [e] []
([get] [gt])
- [ı] [e]
([ıf] [ef])
b) Diphthongs:
- [a] [a]/ []
([mal] [mal])
- [e] []
([pep] [pp])
- [a] [:]
([tan] [t:n])
tendency to centralise back vowels and diphthongs and a tendency to rounding (“nasalisation”)
c) Consonants:
- ‘h’- dropping (‘ouse)
- ‘g’- dropping word finally (doin’) or pronounced as a ‘k’ in words such as “nothink”
- intrusive ‘r’ (“Maria Ann” “Maria ran”)
- old Cockney: interchange of ‘w’ and ‘v’ (“wery cold vater”)
- glottaling of ‘p’, ’t’, ’k’ word- medially and –finally (“What a lot of little bottles” [w ]
- ‘th’ is pronounced as ‘f’ (voiceless) and ‘v’ (voiced) or word initially as ‘d’ in pronouns like “this” or “those” ( My farver finks dis)
- omission of ‘w’ in unaccented position and compound words (somewhat summat)
- ‘l’ is pronounced as a semi- vowel /w/ when it is followed by a Velar /l/ (milk [mıwk])
omission of unaccented syllables (‘sted, ‘cause, fam’ly)
Some characteristic grammar of Cockney:
- Double negation (“ I don’t know nothing about it”)
- 3rd person sing. ‘s’ attached to other persons ( similar use of ‘is’ and ‘was’ “The blokes is goin’ to de pictures”)
- use of unorthodox superlatives (“worser”)
- Adjectives used as Adverbs (“it must be done quick”)
- Possessive pronouns modelled on ‘mine’ (“ourn”, “theirn”, “hern”)
- Reflexive pronouns modelled on ‘myself’ (“He thinks a lot of hisself”)
- ‘that’ is replaced by ‘what’ in phrases like “ a bloke what I knows”
rhyming slang (“Britneys” = beers)
Some characteristic Cockney vocabulary
- stretchers = lies
- beak = nose
- chap = friend
- swop = exchange
- choaker = tie
- screwed = drunk
to mug = to rob