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Isolated for six months, scientists in Antarctica began to develop their own accent (www.bbc.com)
submitted 9 months ago by ooli to c/science
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[–] [email protected] 62 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

You put international researchers from different countries together, it doesn't surprise me that it would blend together.

Among those staying at Rothera that winter were a couple of Americans, an Icelandic mechanic, a few Germans, some Scots and a Welsh speaker.

[–] IndiBrony 54 points 9 months ago

An American, an Icelandic, a German, a Scotsman and a Welshman walk into Antarctica, and þú cannae verstehen the fuck unrhyw af Þeim sagen.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 9 months ago (1 children)

"Howdy, XO," he drawled. The old west affectation common to everyone from the Mariner Valley annoyed Holden. There hadn't been a cowboy on Earth in a hundred years, and Mars didn't have a blade of grass that wasn't under a dome, or a horse that wasn't in a zoo. Mariner Valley had been settled by East Indians, Chinese, and a small contingent of Texans. Apparently, the drawl was viral. They all had it now. "How's the old warhorse today?"

James S.A. Corey, Leviathan Wakes

[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago

That's beautiful.

[–] Wrench 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Yep, intentionally modifying your speech patterns to be understood better isn't exactly adopting a new accent, it's just using simpler/common words and enunciating.

[–] tributarium 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)

In the article they talk about extremely subtle pronounciation changes. It doesn't seem like it was a conscious decision.

I used to have a job where I was the only non-Indian on my team and I didn't go as far as to develop an accent (also I went home every day lol unlike these guys) but I felt like I was unintentionally picking up some Indian affectations/word orders.

[–] Crashumbc 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Absolutely, my sister spent 2 years in Southern California (we're from East Coast). I went out to visit and she had adopted a S C accent. The crazy thing is when she was talking to me she would switch back totally unconsciously, she had no idea she was switching.