The Orthoepic norms

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 943.

The O.N. of a language is the standard pronunciation adopted by native speakers as the right and proper way of speaking. It comprises variants of pronunciation of vocabulary units and prosodic patterns which reflects the main tendencies in pronunciation that exist in a language. O.N doesn't stay stative it always changes. New pronunciations gradually become acceptable and included in the norm, some others fall out of use and become old-fashioned (clothes, chemist) It also
includes some stylistic variants which are acceptable only in certain circumstances, as well as prosodic phenomena. Nowadays two main types of English are spoken in the English-speaking world: British English and American English. The following variants of English are referred to the English-based group: English English, Welsh English, Australian English, New Zealand English; to the American-based group: United States English, Canadian English. Scottish English and Ireland English fall somewhere between the two, being somewhat by themselves.

British English pronunciation is exposed to external influence.

In the nineteenth century Received Pronunciation (RP) was a social marker, a prestige accent of an Englishman. "Received" was understood in the sense of "accepted in the best society".