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A London Accent from the 14th to the 21st Centuries

Simon Roper · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Language & linguistics

What it is

Linguist Simon Roper reconstructs how a London accent would have sounded from the 14th to the 21st centuries, reading passages in period pronunciation. It draws on the Cambridge History of the English Language.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN recommends it as a captivating, accessible tour of how English pronunciation changed, including the rise and fall of the rhotic r.

  • 3 people recommended it
  • 3 different months
  • 2 strong recommendations
  • first 2021, last 2024

What HN commenters said

  1. “for frankly enchanting 18 minutes of viewing”

    Enchanting tour of London English over centuries

    verytrivial, 2023-09 · Strong recommendation · in “How we know languages like proto-Indo-European existed [video]”

  2. “If you have an interest in English and the evolution of the language you must check out the YouTuber Simon Roper.”

    Simon Roper's accessible videos on English evolution

    jdriselvato, 2024-01 · Strong recommendation · in “How French was medieval England?”

  3. “it's very interesting to note the presence or absence of the rhotic "r" during different periods”

    Shows rhotic r presence and absence across eras

    darraghenright, 2023-08 · Recommendation · in “American English Dialects”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: london accent, historical linguistics, middle english, phonology, simon roper

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