Edinburgh Accents and Identity

By Susanna Smith

Accents are often considered to be indicative of a person’s place of origin. We, therefore, derive that they say something about one’s nationality, socio-economic class; perhaps even their age or lifestyle. Here, I will examine the variances within the Edinburgh accent and the implications that they hold, within the context of a long history of evolving Scottish English, and the recent influx of Americanisations through globalisation and new technology.

Some Edinburgh residents speak Scots, some Scottish English, some British English. The lines between these categories are blurred and are more dependant on individual categorisation by the speakers themselves than in distinction between the languages. Edinburgh is often said to be defined by contrast; to move through the historic city is to witness both stark geographical difference and economic disparity, and these factors tie directly into the variance of the Edinburgh accent. It is difficult to articulate exactly the ways in which these phenomena interact. Language and accent are informed by one’s geographic location, which is inextricable from socioeconomic status but, as I will elaborate on in this post, the ties between accent, location and class may be less direct than they appear.

One commonly discerned Edinburgh accent is that which is associated with its richer areas and more upper-class residents, often termed a ‘New Town Accent’, named after the well-to-do district in which many who speak with this accent reside. Its believed to originate from of the efforts middle-class residents, who believed that mimicking English forms of speech signified economic and cultural success, and employed the assistance of elocution coaches in doing so. It is also commonly understood that middle-class English people who move to Scotland’s capital for job opportunities or university settle in these areas and thereby influence the accent of this area. It is important to note, though, that this accent by no means sounds identical to an English one, and is still discernibly Scottish, and is usually still used along with elements of Scots dialect.

This is considered Edinburgh’s ‘posh’ accent. In areas outside of those in which this accent is prevalent, it is often regarded with mild contempt. It could be speculated that the dislike of this accent is linked to its association with English speech, and England itself. In Edinburgh, accents are, in many cases, strong links to one’s identity. Issues like Scottish independence and nationalism see many Edinburgh residents in their favour keen to distance themselves from any associations with the United Kingdom, and England in particular.

The Edinburgh accent is considered particularly strong and identifiable in Leith and its surrounding areas. Leith is characterised by a lower income level, recently by gentrification, and by a ubiquitous love fo and sense of identity tied to the district. Leith and its surrounding areas showed strong displays of support for the Scottish independence movement, both during the time of the referendum and today. Many residents in this part of Edinburgh consider themselves Scots speakers, not English speakers. Their accent is thick, fast, and often difficult for outsiders to understand. ‘Trainspotting’, the 1996 film based on the book by Irvine Welsh about a group of young Edinburgh people living in Leith, had its audio slowed and subtitles added for its American release, to allow Americans to understand the dialogue. The following clip is from the film and provides not only an example of this sort of Edinburgh accent but a look into the ways it intersects with Scottish, rather than British, identity.

Edinburgh accents can be difficult for those not familiar with them to understand, owing in large part to their tendency to be used in very fast speech. In his work on studying sound Mark Smith (2015) discussed the value of studying written text in understanding soundscapes. Although it could be argued that one’s understanding of an accent cannot be significantly aided by seeing this accented speech written down, this transcription of an audio recording of some Edinburgh residents provides a written account of some of the verbalisations commonly made in Edinburgh accents, and can, therefore, provide a wider picture of what some Edinburgh accents sound like. Not only does it record the ways their accents and dialogues influence their speech, but we see the ties that they make between the places they are from and in which they now live and how they intersect with identity.

It has been argued for years in Edinburgh that Scots dialect is fading amongst its residents. The Scottish council mandates that public schools teach Scots to children and that they learn about poets and musicians who have famously written or performed in Scots. These practices not only reflect but inform the state of Scots language in Edinburgh, which impacts Edinburgh accents. The adoption by some people of English forms of speech is not the only way in which Edinburgh accents have evolved, however. In recent years, owing to globalisation and the pervasiveness of the internet, Americanisms have found their way into Scottish speech. Trends such as adopting slang derived from African American or American LQBTQ and drag communities, dispersed across the world through social media, have impacted the Edinburgh accent. The replacement of the word ‘mum’ with ‘mom’ can be seen, particularly in young, female, Edinburgh residents, who tend to incorporate terms such as these into their speech when they use an accent that could be deemed something of a middle point between the ‘New Town’ and ‘Leith’ accents. Emily Thompson, in 'The Soundscape of Modernity' (2002, 1) argued that modernisation and new technology dramatically altered the soundscapes of early 20th century America. Similarly, the diffusion of new technologies brought about new ways of speaking and altered accents, and therefore the soundscape, in this case.  Globalisations is manifested in many ways across the world, one of which is its impact on Edinburgh accents.

It is impossible to draw concrete boundaries between the different accents with which Edinburgh residents speak. The lines are blurred as people move, times change and globalisation, in some ways, homogenises us all. That being said, accents are important factors in the identity of many people in the city, as they are tied up with the places in which we live, which, in a city characterised by such disparity and difference, often draw lines people like to leave clear and distinct. Soundscapes in Edinburgh are dominated by its accent as people sing and shout and laugh. In all of their differences, Edinburgh people are proud of the accents which signify the places they come from.