Posted by Peter H on October 20, 2003 at 19:21:58 from 213.122.118.26 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: Social Obstacles & Malign Influences posted by Peter Ceresole on October 20, 2003 at 15:01:53:
I have been back through the postings and I note that Peter Ceresole bases some of his anti-RP views on ‘BBC audience research’, a phrase which in my house prompts gales of sarcastic laughter. Does anyone know anyone who has taken part in such ‘research’ ever? Nuff said.
However, I’ll try another tack and get back on topic. It is noticeable that we all phrase our messages in the written version of RP. None of us tries to post in our local accents (give or take a few local usages or spellings). In fact, I don’t know of any example of people writing a message in accent or dialect. That is why I think AR made a mistake in Chapter XVI of ‘Picts & Martyrs’ when he describes Cook as writing in a note to the D’s: Hope your makin do. If owts wanting you can tell Jacky. Cook would not have written that. She went to school, a local village school probably, and would have learnt to write at an early age (in those days being able to write was not considered a social obstacle). She would have been taught basic grammar and spelling. She would have written ‘If you want anything’ rather than ‘If owts wanting’. She would not have known how to spell ‘owts’ – this is something she said not something she wrote. She would probably have been proud of her writing style, and would have regarded any attempt to write in dialect as totally beneath her.