Summary
Highlights
Clifford and Fred Silet, both from Suffolk, demonstrate unique aspects of the East Anglian dialect, such as not stressing 'r's (e.g., 'Bargain' instead of 'bargain') and using older terms like 'farside' for farthest side and 'risbon' for shirt sleeve. They also mention 'bargain' being used for a small load and 'frail' for a dinner bag, highlighting words that have largely disappeared from modern English.
The video explains that the distinct lack of 'r' after vowels in Eastern England's dialect, as heard in words like 'turn' and 'heard', directly influenced the New England states of America. Puritans from regions like Cambridge, Norfolk, and Suffolk emigrated to the Eastern United States, bringing with them this unique language pattern that remains identifiably different today.
Researchers Jim Baker and Len Travers investigate the roots of Puritan English in East Anglia, using church and parish records. They follow the trail of the Howland family; Henry Howland worshipped here, and his son John was a pilgrim who sailed to America on the Mayflower. The Mayflower, intending to land in Virginia, was swept north to what became New England.
Len Travers and other experts believe that East Anglia played a decisive role in shaping the New England accent. Both East Anglian and New England dialects commonly drop 'post-vocalic R's, as heard in pronunciations like 'Hahvahd' or 'yahd'. This shared linguistic trait makes it easier for New Englanders to adopt an East Anglian accent compared to other English dialects.
Jim Baker's mother, taped for a linguistic atlas, exemplifies an old Plymouth accent, similar to what's heard in Maine. This accent is an old 'Plymouth accent of sorts'. Over 300 years later, the Howland family descendants in America, who run the Mayflower fish restaurant, demonstrate a modern New England accent. The video highlights how some words (like 'forscot' for forgotten, 'mad' for angry, and 'fall' for autumn) have survived in American English long after being lost in British English, reflecting the language of Shakespeare's time.