Blowing Water | Your accent says a lot about you. Maybe more than you’d like
In a globalised world, and especially in a cosmopolitan city like Hong Kong, the way a person talks is an integral part of their identity
“You have an interesting accent. Where are you from?”
Many of us have been asked this question, especially when travelling abroad. So, what does your accent say about you? And what does it mean to have a certain accent?
By definition, an accent is the manner of pronunciation specific to people who come from a certain place; it also reflects the locality in which its speakers reside as well as their socioeconomic status.
Some linguists believe people of different ethnic backgrounds talk, exclaim, grumble, and even laugh in different ways, all of which are influenced by our accents. Some experts even say babies of different nationalities have accented cries.
It may sound far-fetched but linguistic experts say accents are not the privilege of humankind, as animals make noises with different “accents”, which are influenced by the region they live in and how other animals of the same species in their locality sound.
Accents mark people out. So, like it or not, we carry our accents like a name badge allowing others to easily identify us. That’s why some people go the extra mile to tone down or “posh up” their accents.