Scottish accent is dying out - study

Academics say Scots' distinctive pronunciation of 'Rs' is starting to vanish. Photo / 123RF

They are as stereotypically Scottish as Irn-Bru or porridge. But the "Rs" that make the accent so distinctive are dying out.

Research shows that many young Scots no longer emphasise the "R" at the end of words such as "car", "bar" and "fur". Working-class youngsters are particularly likely to swallow the sound while their middle-class counterparts are favouring one normally associated with American English.

What is more, the rolling, or trilling "R", associated with the likes of "broom", "squirrel" and "hurry", is now very rare.

Some blame a Scottish media saturated with English and American accents, but the researchers from the University of Glasgow and Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh say accents naturally evolve.

They used ultrasound machines to reveal the tongue movements of a group of 12 and 13-year-olds as they said a range of words.

Professor Jim Scobbie, lead researcher, said: "We found that some Scottish speakers are delaying the 'R' gesture, so it's happening in silence afterwards. They're still producing it. You just can't hear it the same."

Michael Hance, director of the Scots Language Centre, said the Anglicising influence of the media is to blame.

He told The Sunday Times: "Ninety-nine per cent of Scottish radio and TV is English and American accents."

- Daily Mail