Bonos accent

[A stor]

I think Bono (when speaking in public) speaks what we call Mid-Athlantic Standard, this is a mixture of Eastern North American, British and Irish features and it has been developed in the media, especially by journalists but also by entertainers and businesspeople who work/live jumping from one side to the other of this ocean, just like Bono (listen to most people speaking on CNN for example).
I've watched him on some interviews in Ireland, and there he shows more of his native accent. He hasn't ever got (as far as I've listened to him) the strong Northside Dublin accent Larry can show, his accent has always been softer, I've always thought that it was because of his family accent.
What I find quite funny is how he keeps some very Irish features like pronouncing an -s when the word ends in -t or the aspiration of the wh-, you can even hear these when he's singing and, of course, many idioms.
As some people have said before I don't think he does it deliberately, it's a question of what you're hearing most of your time, in fact I've listened to him saying he speaks with British accent, while he's quite distant from the RP (British "Oxford" pronunciation).

Agreed.....I live in Maryland, my family is from North of Philadelphia and when Bono is in the U.S. His accent is almost identical to mine. Mid-Atlantic Standard.

 

[snowbunny00774]

I had often wondered about his accent for some time. I noticed too how he never spokewith a strong irish accent. I am canadian and lost my accent after about a year of living in scotland. It was easier to learn to speak like the Scottish, rather than everyone not understanding what i was saying. It started by just using the same words for things (ie crisps, bins,sweeties) then it just sorta took over my accent. I am married to a Scottish guy, so that didn't help me keep it! I think you just learn to adjust to wherever you are. When I go home, I revert back to my canadian accent pretty quick cos my mom doesn't understand me!!!

Agreed. My Irish accent really only comes out fully when I'm back at home or on the phone with my family. If I'm anywhere for longer than a week or two my accent adapts really quickly. Been that way since I was a kid..it kinda sucks, would love to have my Dublin accent all the time now, and I'm not one that can consciously turn it on and off...depends on my surroundings and influences at the time.

 

[snowbunny00774]

I think Bono (when speaking in public) speaks what we call Mid-Athlantic Standard, this is a mixture of Eastern North American, British and Irish features and it has been developed in the media, especially by journalists but also by entertainers and businesspeople who work/live jumping from one side to the other of this ocean, just like Bono (listen to most people speaking on CNN for example).
I've watched him on some interviews in Ireland, and there he shows more of his native accent. He hasn't ever got (as far as I've listened to him) the strong Northside Dublin accent Larry can show, his accent has always been softer, I've always thought that it was because of his family accent.
What I find quite funny is how he keeps some very Irish features like pronouncing an -s when the word ends in -t or the aspiration of the wh-, you can even hear these when he's singing and, of course, many idioms.
As some people have said before I don't think he does it deliberately, it's a question of what you're hearing most of your time, in fact I've listened to him saying he speaks with British accent, while he's quite distant from the RP (British "Oxford" pronunciation).

Oh, very interesting. I'd say this is what I have going on too. When I go home now my accent is less "common" than when I was a kid. My uncles call me RTE or 6 o'clock...after the news casters, for the first few days when I'm home and then after being with my cousins it slowly goes back to common Northsider elements instead of just generic Irish accent.

Interesting how the brain works. Nothing pisses me off more than a forced accent though...different matter altogether.

 

[mad1]

yea sometimes you hear Bono (as said) putting on. heard it in the Unforgettable Fire doc.

he just shows his big character!

 

[folly]

Every language you speak affects your pronunciation, lexicon, idioms, grammar and, of course, your accent. This is not me, this is a linguistic axiom.

I've heard many Irish friends say Irish, Gaelic was used at uni.

Regardless, if you hear an Irish person speaking English, they will sound no different to an Irish person (who knows Irish) speaking English. You would not know the difference unless Irish is their first language and even then, only rarely.

And again, I have heard nobody in this country, apart from visiting Americans, refer to the language as gaelic, it is simply not used. As I said, it is called Irish or Gaeilge.

 

[layza]

well I speak two languages the portuguese and english as my second one and the funny thing is that when I speak english my really portuguese accent do not really show and if you guys see interviews of the beggining of their carriers you can realize that bono had a stornger accent than now..and larry and Adam are the ones who did not lost too munch of accent

 

[Marien]

Regardless, if you hear an Irish person speaking English, they will sound no different to an Irish person (who knows Irish) speaking English. You would not know the difference unless Irish is their first language and even then, only rarely.

I don't understand what you want to say, do you really mean that you don't find any difference between the accent in Dublin and the accent in Galway, for example? or that you don't really think this difference is due to the fact that there are more bilingual people in the area of Galway than in Dublin? I don't know, sometimes people think that there are good and bad accents, that's not my case. I'm fascinated by Irish and I would like they teach it using modern methodology, a language is richness and can also be like having a different pair of eyes to look at the world with.

I know that class is another important fact to take into account when we talk about accents in English, I find it more important in the UK, though, but I don't want to talk about it in a forum, people could get offended without any reason.

 

[Anji]

And again, I have heard nobody in this country, apart from visiting Americans, refer to the language as gaelic, it is simply not used. As I said, it is called Irish or Gaeilge.

Very odd indeed!

I have a lot of military records and personal items from both my Mum & Grandfather that is written all in Gaelic. I was speaking to one of my freinds over there and said how do I get it all tranlated? (He is a good few years younger than Bono) He said "I can translate it you ninny! I was taught Gaelic at school" So there you all go! Pick the bones out of that one!