The Rise and Fall of Received Pronunciation: A Fascinating History

TLDRDiscover the story behind Received Pronunciation, the accent once associated with the British ruling class. From its peak in the early 20th century to its decline in the 1960s, explore the societal and cultural changes that led to its loss of prestige. Learn how advanced RP, once seen as the future, became ridiculed and rejected. This video provides insights into the phonetic changes and social attitudes that shaped the fate of RP.

Key insights

🗝️Received Pronunciation (RP) was the accent associated with the British ruling class in the early 20th century.

📉RP experienced a decline in prestige in the 1960s and was mocked and rejected by young people.

🌐The societal and cultural changes of the 1960s played a significant role in the loss of prestige of RP.

🗒️Gimson's 1962 description of advanced RP accurately predicted the accent's future but failed to acknowledge its subsequent reversal of fortune.

🔄The decline of RP resulted in a shift towards other accents, including the adoption of Londonish features.

Q&A

What is Received Pronunciation?

—Received Pronunciation (RP) is an accent associated with the British ruling class and was considered the standard for British English.

When did Received Pronunciation decline?

—RP started losing its prestige in the 1960s, particularly among young people.

What factors contributed to the decline of Received Pronunciation?

—Societal and cultural changes, such as the rise of satire and the questioning of traditional authority, played a significant role in the decline of RP.

What is advanced RP?

—Advanced RP was the speech of the young upper class in the early 20th century, seen as the future of the accent, but eventually became ridiculed and rejected.

What accents gained popularity as Received Pronunciation declined?

—Accents associated with working-class and regional speech gained popularity as RP declined, with features like T-glottaling and TH-fronting spreading across different classes and regions.

Timestamped Summary

00:00Introduction: Received Pronunciation (RP) was once the accent associated with the British ruling class.

04:01The decline of RP in the 1960s resulted in its loss of prestige, particularly among young people.

07:44Societal and cultural changes, such as the Profumo affair and the rise of satire, contributed to the decline of RP.

10:57Gimson's description of advanced RP in 1962 accurately predicted the accent's future but failed to acknowledge its subsequent reversal of fortune.

18:08The phonetic changes in RP led to the adoption of accents associated with working-class and regional speech, such as Londonish features.