Cardiff dialect
Encyclopedia
The Cardiff accent and dialect, also known as Cardiff English is the regional accent of English, and a variety of Welsh English
, as spoken in and around the city of Cardiff
, and is somewhat distinctive in Wales
, compared to other Welsh accents
. Its pitch is described as somewhat lower than that of received pronunciation
, whereas its intonation is closer to dialects of England rather than Wales.
It is estimated that around 500,000 people speak Cardiff English. The accent is generally limited to inside the city's northern boundary, rather than extending to the nearby South Wales Valleys
where the spoken variety of English is different and accent is much stronger Welsh from that of Cardiff. However, the accent area spreads east and west of the city's political borders, covering much of the former counties of South Glamorgan
and south-west Gwent
, including Newport
and coastal Monmouthshire
.
The dialect developed distinctively as the city grew in the nineteenth century, with an influx of migrants from different parts of Britain and further afield. The Cardiff accent and vocabulary has been influenced in particular by those who moved there from the English Midlands
, the West Country
, other parts of Wales, and Ireland.
influence, similar to the influence of the Liverpool
accent, given both cities' status as major world ports.
According to a BBC study, the Cardiff accent, as well as that of Liverpool and East London, are in the process of changing due to the modern influence of immigration on youth, primarily of Arabic and Hindi
influence.
area of England, but differs in being non-rhotic
.
have carried out research on the accent in an effort to improve speech recognition software.
Place names in Cardiff, such as Crwys and Llanedeyrn
, may be pronounced in a way which reflects rules of neither Welsh nor English.
Common differences of the Cardiff accent from Standard English
or Received Pronunciation
include:
Consonants and /x/, the latter found in Welsh
words as 'ch', are used interchangeably when using a Welsh word in English
include:) is often realised as the more open [æː] in words like are, hard and Cardiff. This can give a quite iconic local pronunciation of Cardiff Arms Park
, Charlotte Church
, Colin Jackson
, Craig Bellamy
and Stan Stennett
.
Although based in nearby Barry, accents heard in the sitcom Gavin & Stacey
are not Cardiff or Barry accents, with the exception of the character Nessa, played by Ruth Jones
who is from the city.
pointed out in a pamphlet of Cardiff that having a strong Cardiff accent has long been an issue of class., recalling how teachers at a Cardiff high school prepared pupils for the middle class professions by reciting: "Hark, hark the lark
In Cardiff Arms Park!"
In a survey, carried out by the BBC
, Welsh accents are among the least popular accents in the UK. However, the Cardiff accent was rated higher than that of nearby Swansea.
In the 1960s, Gwyn Thomas, a Valleys man, described the speech of Cardiffians in the following way:
Welsh English
Welsh English, Anglo-Welsh, or Wenglish refers to the dialects of English spoken in Wales by Welsh people. The dialects are significantly influenced by Welsh grammar and often include words derived from Welsh...
, as spoken in and around the city of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, and is somewhat distinctive in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, compared to other Welsh accents
Welsh English
Welsh English, Anglo-Welsh, or Wenglish refers to the dialects of English spoken in Wales by Welsh people. The dialects are significantly influenced by Welsh grammar and often include words derived from Welsh...
. Its pitch is described as somewhat lower than that of received pronunciation
Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English, Oxford English or BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms...
, whereas its intonation is closer to dialects of England rather than Wales.
It is estimated that around 500,000 people speak Cardiff English. The accent is generally limited to inside the city's northern boundary, rather than extending to the nearby South Wales Valleys
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
where the spoken variety of English is different and accent is much stronger Welsh from that of Cardiff. However, the accent area spreads east and west of the city's political borders, covering much of the former counties of South Glamorgan
South Glamorgan
South Glamorgan is a preserved county of Wales.It was originally formed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, as a county council area...
and south-west Gwent
Gwent
-Places:*Kingdom of Gwent, a post-Roman Welsh kingdom or principality which existed in various forms between about the 5th and 11th centuries, although the name continued in use later....
, including Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
and coastal Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
.
The dialect developed distinctively as the city grew in the nineteenth century, with an influx of migrants from different parts of Britain and further afield. The Cardiff accent and vocabulary has been influenced in particular by those who moved there from the English Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
, the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
, other parts of Wales, and Ireland.
Influence
The formation of the modern Cardiff accent has been cited has having an IrishIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
influence, similar to the influence of the Liverpool
Scouse
Scouse is an accent and dialect of English found primarily in the Metropolitan county of Merseyside, and closely associated with the city of Liverpool and the adjoining urban areas such as the boroughs of south Sefton, Knowsley and the Wirral...
accent, given both cities' status as major world ports.
According to a BBC study, the Cardiff accent, as well as that of Liverpool and East London, are in the process of changing due to the modern influence of immigration on youth, primarily of Arabic and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
influence.
Social variation
Research has shown that there is a great sociolinguistic variation on the Cardiff accent, that is to say a difference in the way people speak from different social backgrounds in Cardiff. Unsurprisingly, those from a more affluent background generally speak with a less broad accent, closer to that of standard English, compared to people from a working class background. Thus, the city itself has different dialects, with people from the less affluent eastern and western districts of the city having a stronger and broader accent than those living in the more affluent north Cardiff.Accent
A common first reaction to the accent is often that it is scarcely different from what is considered a "proper Welsh accent", which is usually seen by most outside of Wales as being the variety spoken in the South Wales Valleys. Cardiff English shares many of the same phonetic traits as the English spoken in the SevernsideBristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
area of England, but differs in being non-rhotic
Rhotic and non-rhotic accents
English pronunciation can be divided into two main accent groups: a rhotic speaker pronounces a rhotic consonant in words like hard; a non-rhotic speaker does not...
.
Pitch
The pitch of the Cardiff accent is generally closer to English accents rather than Welsh, but with a higher range than in Received Pronunciation (RP). Nevertheless, the average pitch is lower than other South Wales accents and RP. The accent tends to be consistent in pitch with strong expression, such as annoyance, excitement and emphasis. Pitch is one of the factors that the Cardiff accent and other South Wales accents share most closely.Pronunciation
The accent is sufficiently distinct from standard English that researchers from the University of BirminghamUniversity of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
have carried out research on the accent in an effort to improve speech recognition software.
Place names in Cardiff, such as Crwys and Llanedeyrn
Llanedeyrn
-Early history:The name "Llanedeyrn" is believed to be derived from a sixth century monk and a Celtic saint named St. Edeyrn. During the sixth century, St. Edeyrn and a fellow monk, St. Isan, were given the task of spreading the faith and establishing places of worship. The first location chosen by...
, may be pronounced in a way which reflects rules of neither Welsh nor English.
Differences from Standard English
VowelsCommon differences of the Cardiff accent from Standard English
Standard English
Standard English refers to whatever form of the English language is accepted as a national norm in an Anglophone country...
or Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English, Oxford English or BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms...
include:
- The substitution of ɪə by øː
- here /hɪə/ pronounced [hjøː] or [jøː] in broader accents
- A more open pronunciation of ʌ as in love and other is widely realised as æː, giving a pronunciation of Cardiff /ˈkaːdɪf/ as Kaddiff [ˈkæːdɪf]
| Received Pronunciation | Cardiff English | Received Pronunciation | Cardiff English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ɑː | æ | Cardiff [ˈkaːdɪf] | Kaddiff [ˈkæːdɪf] | |
| ɒ | ɑ | hot [ˈhɒt] | aht [ˈɑt] | |
| ɑː | a(ː) | bath [ˈbɑːθ] | baath [ˈbaːθ] | |
| ɪ | iː | happy [ˈhæpɪ] | apee [ˈapiː] | |
| ɛə | ɛː | square [ˈskwɛə] | squeh [ˈskwɛː] | |
| ɔː | ʌː | thought [ˈθɔːt] | thuhht [ˈθʌːt] | Rounded Roundedness In phonetics, vowel roundedness refers to the amount of rounding in the lips during the articulation of a vowel. That is, it is vocalic labialization. When pronouncing a rounded vowel, the lips form a circular opening, while unrounded vowels are pronounced with the lips relaxed... vowels may be pronounced as unrounded in broader accents |
| ɜː | øː | nurse [ˈnɜːs] | nuus [ˈnøːs] | The mid central unrounded vowel /ɜː/ may be realised as a rounded front vowel [øː] in middle-class varieties |
Consonants and /x/, the latter found in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
words as 'ch', are used interchangeably when using a Welsh word in English
-
- Mynachdy as [məˈnaxdiː] or [məˈnakdiː]
- -ing [ɪŋ] realised as -in [ɪn] at the end of a word
- singing /ˈsɪŋɪŋ/ as singin [ˈsɪŋɪn] is often omitted
- that /ðæt/ as at [at] as in sweet may be realised without lip-roundingRoundednessIn phonetics, vowel roundedness refers to the amount of rounding in the lips during the articulation of a vowel. That is, it is vocalic labialization. When pronouncing a rounded vowel, the lips form a circular opening, while unrounded vowels are pronounced with the lips relaxed...
, making it closer to a velar approximant [ɰ]
- AspirationAspiration (phonetics)In phonetics, aspiration is the strong burst of air that accompanies either the release or, in the case of preaspiration, the closure of some obstruents. To feel or see the difference between aspirated and unaspirated sounds, one can put a hand or a lit candle in front of one's mouth, and say pin ...
is stronger in the stressed syllables of /p/, /t/, and /k/ - Glottalisation is weaker, especially in broader forms of the accent; that is the pronunciation of /t/ between two vowels or the last letter after a vowel at the end of a sentence
- kitten /ˈkɪtən/ as ki-uhn [ˈkɪʔn] may be dropped from words, as in some other urban accents of English.
- human /ˈhjuːmən/ as yuman [ˈjuːmən] and /dj/ are usually realised as [tʃ] and [dʃ]
- tube [ˈtjuːb] as chube [ˈtʃuːb] ('ch' as in 'church', not 'sh')
- Wasn't /ˈwɒzənt/, and similar words such as doesn't and isn't, may be realised with a [d] under the influence of a nasal vowel rather than [z], producing [ˈwadn̩].
- A final /ts/ cluster is sometimes realised as [s]
- It's dead is realised as iss-ded [ɪs ˈdɛd]
- He gets chips as he gess chips [hiː ɡɛs ˈtʃɪps]
- Final pre-consonantal /t/ and /d/ may be dropped
- started collecting as starteh collecting [ˈstaːtɪ kəˈlɛktɪn]
Main differences from other Welsh variations of English
Common differences that are unique to the Cardiff accent, and not widely found in other varieties of Welsh EnglishWelsh English
Welsh English, Anglo-Welsh, or Wenglish refers to the dialects of English spoken in Wales by Welsh people. The dialects are significantly influenced by Welsh grammar and often include words derived from Welsh...
include:) is often realised as the more open [æː] in words like are, hard and Cardiff. This can give a quite iconic local pronunciation of Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
- Open-mid back vowel /ʌ/ is realised as the more central vowel [ɜː] before vowels, /j/, and dark [ɫ] is pronounced clearer than in other South Wales varieties, 'breaking' rather than rolling into the following word
- Vowels are generally closer to Received Pronunciation in Cardiff English than in other Welsh varieties, but with a tighter inner lip rounding
Examples
| Cardiff pronunciation | IPA | Received pronunciation | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| C'm year | [ˌkm̩ ˈjøː] | Come here | [ˌkʌm ˈhiə] |
| Clack's pie | [ˌklæks ˈpaɪ] | Clark's pie | [ˌklɑːks ˈpaɪ] |
| Aw-righhh | [ˈɔraɪ] | Alright | [ɔːlˈraɪt] |
| Merm | [ˈmɜːm] | Mum | [ˈmʌm] |
| Fatha | [ˈfæðə] | Father | [ˈfɑːðə] |
| Haff a lagga or a pint of Dack? | [ˈæf ə ˈlæːɡə ɔr ə ˈpaɪnt ə ˈdæːk] | Half a lager or a pint of Dark? | [ˈhɑːf ə ˈlɑːɡə ɔːr ə ˈpaɪnt ɒv ˈdɑːk] |
Grammatical differences
- A common feature of the Cardiff accent is, in colloquial language, the tendency to use a 3rd person singular verb conjugation when referring to the 1st/2nd person singular or plural. For example, I lives in Cardiff rather than I live in Cardiff.
- When asking the whereabouts of something, a Cardiffian may as Where's that to?, with the grammatically unnecessary addition of the preposition to, which indicates a direction even though this meaning would not actually be implied.
- Double negatives are a feature of Cardiff English, as in some other urban accents of English.
- Cardiff English is marked by frequent assimilationAssimilation (linguistics)Assimilation is a common phonological process by which the sound of the ending of one word blends into the sound of the beginning of the following word. This occurs when the parts of the mouth and vocal cords start to form the beginning sounds of the next word before the last sound has been...
and elisionElisionElision is the omission of one or more sounds in a word or phrase, producing a result that is easier for the speaker to pronounce...
, when two distinct sounds merge into one when pronounced in sequence. Therefore, bearing in mind the dropping of /ð/, in these may be pronounced as [ɪnˈniːz] (in-neez), rather than [ɪn ˈðiːz].
- Contrasting elements of meaning in a sentence, e.g. "I'll be over there now, in a minute."
Vocabulary differences
Words and phrases generally restricted to the Cardiff area include:| lush; cracking | great, fabulous, attractive |
| dap | plimsole |
| to dap | to bounce |
| tidy | a general term of approval |
Examples
The accent can be heard in varying degrees in the voices of Frank HennessyFrank Hennessy
Frank Hennessy is a Welsh folk singer and radio presenter.Born into Cardiff's Irish community, Hennessy was used to performance in front of his family by the time his father gave him a guitar aged 13...
, Charlotte Church
Charlotte Church
Charlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
, Colin Jackson
Colin Jackson
Colin Ray Jackson CBE is a British former sprint and hurdling athlete who specialised in the 110 metres hurdles. Over his career representing Great Britain and Wales he won an Olympic silver medal, became world champion three times, went undefeated at the European Championships for 12 years and...
, Craig Bellamy
Craig Bellamy
Craig Douglas Bellamy is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for Liverpool and the Welsh national team. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy was the captain of the Welsh national side for four years after taking over from Ryan Giggs in 2007, but stood down in January 2011 due to constant injuries...
and Stan Stennett
Stan Stennett
Stan Stennett is a Welsh comedian, actor and jazz musician.Stennett was born in Cardiff. During World War II, he served in the army and also worked as an entertainer. He made his professional stage debut with a group called the Harmaniacs...
.
Although based in nearby Barry, accents heard in the sitcom Gavin & Stacey
Gavin & Stacey
Gavin & Stacey is a British comedy television series. A romantic comedy-drama, the show follows the long-distance relationship of Gavin from Billericay in Essex, England, and Stacey from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The writers of the show, actors James Corden and Ruth Jones, also...
are not Cardiff or Barry accents, with the exception of the character Nessa, played by Ruth Jones
Ruth Jones
Ruth Jones is a Welsh TV actress and writer. She starred in and co-wrote the multi-award winning TV comedy Gavin & Stacey and has appeared in many other successful comedies over recent years...
who is from the city.
Opinions
The former Assembly First Minister Rhodri MorganRhodri Morgan
Hywel Rhodri Morgan is a Welsh Labour politician who, as First Secretary for Wales, and subsequently First Minister, was leader of the Welsh Assembly Government from 2000 to 2009. A former leader of Welsh Labour, he was the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011...
pointed out in a pamphlet of Cardiff that having a strong Cardiff accent has long been an issue of class., recalling how teachers at a Cardiff high school prepared pupils for the middle class professions by reciting: "Hark, hark the lark
In Cardiff Arms Park!"
In a survey, carried out by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Welsh accents are among the least popular accents in the UK. However, the Cardiff accent was rated higher than that of nearby Swansea.
In the 1960s, Gwyn Thomas, a Valleys man, described the speech of Cardiffians in the following way:
- "The speaking voices of this city fascinate. The immigrant half, the visitors from the hills, speak with a singing intonation, as if every sentence is half-way into oratorio, the vowels as broad as their shoulders. The Cardiff speech, a compound of the native dialect and a brand of High Bristolian, gives an impression of a wordly hardness. They speak of 'Cairdiff', 'Cathays Pairk', and for a long time it is not amiable to the ear. There is an edge of implied superiority in it to the rather innocent and guiless openness of the valley-speech."