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Dialects can be defined as "sub-forms of languages which are, in general, mutually comprehensible." [1] English speakers from different countries and regions use a variety of different accents (systems of pronunciation) as well as various localized words and grammatical constructions.
The colloquial meaning of dialect can be understood by example, e.g. in Italy [8] (see dialetto [9]), France (see patois) and the Philippines, [11] [12] carries a pejorative undertone and underlines the politically and socially subordinated status of a non-national language to the country's single official language.
English dialects are classified as rhotic or non-rhotic depending on whether they elide /r/ like RP or keep it like GA. [184] There is complex dialectal variation in words with the open front and open back vowels /æ ɑː ɒ ɔː/. These four vowels are only distinguished in RP, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
The English Dialect Dictionary Online (EDD Online), a database and software initiated by Manfred Markus at the University of Innsbruck, provided a computerised version of Wright’s English Dialect Dictionary. The work on the project has been going on since 2006. The third version is presently (summer 2023) available. [15]
Traditionally words such as "swear", "there", "wear" take the diphthong [iə], often written sweer, theer, weer in dialect writing. This sound may also be used in words originating from Old English ēa, commonly spelt ea in standard english spelling: for example, head as [iəd] (heead), red as [riəd] (reead) leaves as [liəvz] (leeavs). [25]
A diversity of earlier Southern dialects once existed: a consequence of the mix of English speakers from the British Isles (including largely English and Scots-Irish immigrants) who migrated to the American South in the 17th and 18th centuries, with particular 19th-century elements also borrowed from the London upper class and enslaved African-Americans.
The following is a list of words which occur in the Appalachian dialect. These words are not exclusive to the region, but tend to occur with greater frequency than in other English dialects: [54] afeared — afraid [54] airish — cool, chilly [54] ary/ary'ne — any [55] bald — a treeless mountain summit (see Appalachian balds) [36]
Language portal; This category contains both accents and dialects specific to groups of speakers of the English language. General pronunciation issues that are not specific to a single dialect are categorized under the English phonology category.