Difference between accent, dialect, lilt and brogue

biko · 2005-07-19 14:29:09

What's the difference here really? I've always thought you spoke with an accent or perhaps a dialect but then I read somewhere that to say someone "spoke English with a brogue" was a nasty comment, used mostly by the English to insult the Irish. Today people think they are referring to the Irish lilt when they use the term…

19-07-2005 03:29PM

#1

biko

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What's the difference here really? I've always thought you spoke with an accent or perhaps a dialect but then I read somewhere that to say someone "spoke English with a brogue" was a nasty comment, used mostly by the English to insult the Irish. Today people think they are referring to the Irish lilt when they use the term "brogue". ??

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#2 19-07-2005 05:11PM

pickarooney

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Dialects have different words and phrases, sometimes even grammatical variations. You can see a difference when they're written down.

An accent is merely the way you pronounce words.

A brogue is a strong accent, almost always used to describe a strong Irish accent.

A lilt is the sing-song intonation typical of accents from the South West of Ireland, North Wales, Donegal, Norway...

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#3 20-07-2005 09:47AM

biko

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Thanks pickarooney, that did indeed explain it

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