Bermudian English is the variety of English spoken in Bermuda (officially The Somers Isles), a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic.

Historically, the variety spoken by the black Bermudian community was fairly different from that spoken by white Bermudians. To a new listener, the former has something in common with the versions spoken in the West Indies, such as Jamaican English (although these two are actually quite different. Others argue that Bermudians sound English, but the American and Caribbean influences are clear. White Bermudians in turn had a range of varieties, depending partially on social class, as well as the length of time the family had been in Bermuda. The strongest accents had some commonality with that prevalent among black Bermudians, but were still quite different.

However the islands' relative proximity to the United States meant that US influence, through television and the large number of tourists was (and remains) increasingly strong. In addition, many Bermudians attended post secondary institutions in the US and Canada. The variations common among white Bermudians are now fading, and a more neutral mid-Atlantic sound is now common. Like their British counterparts Bermudians slow down have to ability to adapt their speech to their audiences, this can often give others a distorted view. The old strong Bermudian accent is now really only heard from the oldest white residents. A very pronounced black Bermudian accent is still heard from many black Bermudians, however.

To British ears, Bermudian English among those of higher economic status now sounds similar to American English, although there are affinities with British English, namely the pronunciation of the letter 'z' as 'zed', not 'zee' (also found in Canadian English), and the use of 'football' as opposed to 'soccer', while British spelling is generally followed. As far as pronunciation is concerned, there is little difference between the two.

An unusual characteristic of Bermudian English, in people with a strong Bermudian accent, is the pronunciation of 'w' as 'v', hence 'Bermudian words' is pronounced Bermewdjun vurds. Whether coincidentally or relatedly, the phenomenon of confusing 'w' and 'v' sounds is common in many other English dialects including those of the Indian diaspora, as well as in other languages such as Chinese. The letter 'e' is often pronounced as an 'a', hence, 'letter' is pronounced 'latter'.

Examples:

Here are some examples of what Bermudian English would sound like (note that these examples are slightly exaggerated and sound different when spoken):

"Look ace boy, we bies are goin dahn to de store, ya wan sahmpin?" - Look, we're going down to the store, do you want something?

"All you gotta do to find de gates is go straight dahn de road, den turn laff, rahn de corner." - All you have to do to find the house is go straight down the road, turn left and then go around the corner.

"If you dun want licks bye u bass catch ya self and sit dahn in de chur!" - If you don't want to be punished you should think about the consequences and sit down in the chair!

"Ay dun wher you goin lata?"-Hey where are you going later?

"Um duneeenworrywifit" -Um, don't even worry with it!

'''"Bie ya fullish??....Ya gonna catch a good ringaa upside ya chops" - Are you foolish? You're going to get punched in the mouth.

UM UM I went roun point to check ace gurl, but her auntie's momma's granny's sister's couzin, said she wernt evennn homee" - I went around (Spanish) point to visit this girl, but her auntie's mother's granny's sister's cousin said she wasn't even home. ( Bermudians keep close ties)

See also

• Regional accents of English speakers

External links

• Bermewjan Vurds - a 'dictionary" of Bermudian pronunciation and slang, originally developed for tourists.
• Bermudian English: History, Features, Social Role - academic paper written by a college student

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