Obsessed with Harry (was - Re: They are children's books)

[jeffl1965]

No: HPFGUIDX 81860

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister" 
<gbannister10 at a...> wrote:

   <snipped>
> Geoff:
> It may be the movies but I get the feel that Ron is certainly 
Cockney 
> or "Sarf Lunnon" (as my own son always terms his accent). Perhaps 
> JKR's use of speech for him suggests that. Strictly, to be a true 
> Cockney a person must be born within the sound of Bow Bells. 
Cockney 
> is an urban accent like Brummie (Birmingham), Geordie (Tyneside) 
> etc., often developed in times past because of the polluted 
> atmosphere and attendant catarrhal problems - Brummies for example 
> always sound very nasal. Cockneys also use the glottal stop a lot; 
> it's difficult to indicate in ordinary script but "be - ah" 
> for "better" as an example.
> 
   <snipped>

  Jeff:

    Agreed, and thanks for the history as well. ;) Yeah, again, I 
think the Weasley's have that thick cockney accent, except for that 
bugger Percy. I think *he'd* be the one to sound like an announcer on 
Radio One. ;) He's so ashamed of his family that I think he'd change 
his speech patterns on purpose, to try to reflect the fact that he is 
of a good breeding stock and would show it with his nose in the air 
and speaking like a "proper gentleman" would. Doesn't mean that he's 
not a sod, but he's trying to put on airs.
   Also, I wanted to add that even the Liverpudlians are a bit nasal, 
if you listen. Very nasal on some words, but still just as nasal as 
the Westies. ;)


  Jeff