'Bermudian English' is the variety of
English spoken in
Bermuda( officially
The Somers Isles), a British
overseas territory in the
North Atlantic.
Historically, the variety spoken by the black Bermudian (officially the residents of Bermuda are British) community was fairly different from that spoken by white Bermudians. To a new listener, the former has something in common with the versions spoken in the
West Indies, such as
Jamaican English (although these two are actually quite different. Others argue that Bermudians sound English, but the
American and
Caribbean influences are clear. White Bermudians in turn had a range of varieties, depending partially on social class, as well as the length of time the family had been in Bermuda. The strongest accents had some commonality with that prevalent among black Bermudians, but were still quite different.
However the islands' relative proximity to the
United States meant that US influence, through
television and the large number of
tourists was (and remains) increasingly strong. In addition, many Bermudians attended post secondary institutions in the US and Canada. The variations common among white Bermudians are now fading, and a more neutral
mid-Atlantic sound is now common. Like their British counterparts Bermudians slow down have to ability to adapt their speech to their audiences, this can often give others a distorted view. The old strong Bermudian accent is now really only heard from the oldest white residents. A very pronounced black Bermudian accent is still heard from many black Bermudians, however.
To British ears, Bermudian English among those of higher economic status now sounds similar to
American English, although there are affinities with
British English, namely the pronunciation of the letter 'z' as 'zed', not 'zee' (also found in
Canadian English), and the use of '
football' as opposed to '
soccer', while British spelling is generally followed. As far as pronunciation is concerned, there is little difference between the two.
An unusual characteristic of Bermudian English, in people with a strong Bermudian accent, is the pronunciation of 'w' as 'v', hence 'Bermudian words' is pronounced ''Bermewdjun vurds''. Whether coincidentally or relatedly, the phenomenon of confusing 'w' and 'v' sounds is common in many other
English dialects including those of the Indian
diaspora, as well as in other languages such as Chinese. The letter 'e' is often pronounced as an 'a', hence, 'letter' is pronounced 'latter'.
Examples:
Here are some examples of what Bermudian English would sound like (note that these examples are slightly exaggerated and sound different when spoken):
'"Look ace boy, we bies are goin dahn to de store, ya wan sahmpin?"' - Look, we're going down to the store, do you want something?
'"All you gotta do to find de gates is go straight dahn de road, den turn laff, rahn de corner."' - All you have to do to find the house is go straight down the road, turn left and then go around the corner.
'"If you dun want licks bye u bass catch ya self and sit dahn in de chur!"' - If you don't want to be punished you should think about the consequences and sit down in the chair!
'"Ay dun wher you goin lata?"'-Hey where are you going later?
'"Um duneeenworrywifit"' -Um, don't even worry with it!
'"Bie ya fullish??....Ya gonna catch a good ringaa upside ya chops" Hey, you crazy, Your gonna get a good smack.' - Are you foolish? You're going to get punched in the mouth.
'UM UM I went roun point to check ace gurl, but her auntie's momma's granny's sister's couzin, said she wernt evennn homee"' - I went around (Spanish) point to visit this girl, but her auntie's mother's granny's sister's cousin said she wasn't even home. ( Bermudians keep close ties)
External links
★
Bermewjan Vurds - a 'dictionary" of Bermudian pronunciation and slang, originally developed for tourists.
★
Bermudian English: History, Features, Social Role - academic paper written by a college student