Origins of Padfoot

[marinafrants]

No: HPFGUIDX 40940

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Leon Adato" <adatole at y...> wrote:
> Marinafrants says:
> ********************
> The dictionary also connects the term "padfoot" with Yorkshire,
> particularly the area around Leeds.  That made me wonder if any of
> the Marauders came from there, but I'm not sure if that works.
> Doesn't Yorkshire have a really distinctive accent?  Enough that
> Harry would notice it when he heard Sirius, Remus or Peter speak?
> ********************
> 
> Except that, IIRC, there is never any mention of someone's accent in
the
> books, assuming they are British. You infer some things based on how
the
> speech is represented, but I don't recall any mention of "he said in
a thick
> Scottish brogue", or the like.
> 
> Leon Adato

It's true, I don't recall JKR specifying any British character's
accent.  She writes out Hagrid's accent (which seems to be unique to
him) phonetically.  She does the same with foreign accents, like
Krum's or Fleur's.  I've been generally assuming that if a character
isn't written as having an accent, then they don't have one, or at
least not a strong one.  But that may not be an accurate assumption. 
I suppose it's possible that Sirius or Remus or Peter has been
speaking with a Yorkshire accent and JKR (or Harry) hasn't considered
it worth noting.

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com