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How did the pirates really talk?
In this question we learned that pirates did not really talk like they are commonly portrayed. Given that they were professional sailors, they probably had a wide store of nautical jargon; but what would be an example of speech that would typify a pirate, such as Blackbeard? Would the captains and officers have notably different speech from the rest of the crew?
1. Accent - Sotaque
What was the regional accent of the stereotypical 17th- and 18th-century pirate?
I think you mean, in films, why are all pirates from Bristol? Simply, because they arrrrr!
For many people, myself included, the archetypal pirates' accent was that popularised by Robert Newton, who appeared in more than 50 films, most notably as Long John Silver in Treasure Island, a role he reprised on TV in the mid-1950s.
Newton was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, and spoke with a distinctive West Country accent. Aboard most English/British ships, there were significant numbers of Scots (William "Captain" Kidd), Irish (Walter Kennedy), and Welsh (Admiral Sir Henry Morgan) sailors. It seems, however, that the largest group of sailors came from the south-west of England (Edward Teach, AKA "Blackbeard" was a native of Bristol and Francis Drake was from Tavistock in Devon) than anywhere else, which is unsurprising, given the pre-eminence of Bristol as the main trading port with the West Indies. So Newton's accent may well have been historically accurate.
The accents must have been diverse. Reference to Black Bart Roberts and The Book of Welsh Pirates and Buccaneers, both by Terry Breverton, shows the birth places of captured pirates in the early 18th century to include Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Greece, Ghent, Liverpool, Antigua, Bristol, Canterbury, Whitby, York, Devon, Cornwall, Wiltshire, Berwick, Jersey, the Isle of Man and London.
Additionally, substantial numbers of crew members were escaped slaves of African descent from Antigua, and seamen from Sierra Leone. All crew members were treated equally, regardless of race, and shared the spoils.
It's probable that the pirate William Dampier, born in 1651 at East Coker, spoke with a Somerset accent, at least in his early years. He possessed remarkable intellect, and while engaged in questionable buccaneering activities he studied the animals, birds, botany and weather systems encountered on his travels. Later, as a more respectable captain of a Royal Navy ship, he circumnavigated three times and reached Australia before Captain Cook. His early home still stands in East Coker, and a plaque in the church reads: "To the memory of William Dampier, Buccaneer, Explorer, Hydrographer."
2. Vocabulary
Ahoy
Ahoy is the pirate equivalent of a greeting.
It can also be used in relation to incoming ships.
The Pirate says: "Ahoy mates!" Or "Ship ahoy!"
Aye
The pirate equivalent of "yes", aye can be used in a number is circumstances.
Captain says: "Will you bilge Pirate?"
Pirate says: "Aye, I will!"
Avast!
Literally means "stop," but it is also a piratey exclamation of surprise.
Pirate says: "Avast! It be the black ship!"
Arrr!
"Arrr" can be used by a pirate in almost any context. It can be used to express a pirate's approval, as a verbal declaration of his or her anger or sometimes as simply a way to ensure everybody around knows you are a vicious bloodthirsty pirate.
1) Pirate says: "Arrr! This be good grog!"
2) Pirate says: "Arrr! Matey!
Be
"Be" is commonly used by pirates in place of "am," "are," or "is." The past tense of "be" is "were" in singular and plural.
Bilge
The bilge is the very lowest level of a ship and is usually filled with filthy water. One of the puzzles in the game requires pirates to pump this water back out into the sea (making the ship more buoyant and faster.) It is also used to mean nonsense.
Black Spotted
Marked for death. In Puzzle Pirates, black-spotted pirates cannot communicate with others for a certain amount of time.
Booty
Goods and property gotten by force or piracy.
Hornswaggle
To cheat or defraud. Hornswaggling is a common occurrence amongst such dishonest folk as pirates.
Marooned
Abandoned on a deserted island or coast.
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Aprender Inglês
The Language of the Pirates
How did the pirates really talk?
In this question we learned that pirates did not really talk like they are commonly portrayed. Given that they were professional sailors, they probably had a wide store of nautical jargon; but what would be an example of speech that would typify a pirate, such as Blackbeard? Would the captains and officers have notably different speech from the rest of the crew?
1. Accent - Sotaque
What was the regional accent of the stereotypical 17th- and 18th-century pirate?
I think you mean, in films, why are all pirates from Bristol? Simply, because they arrrrr!
For many people, myself included, the archetypal pirates' accent was that popularised by Robert Newton, who appeared in more than 50 films, most notably as Long John Silver in Treasure Island, a role he reprised on TV in the mid-1950s.
Newton was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, and spoke with a distinctive West Country accent. Aboard most English/British ships, there were significant numbers of Scots (William "Captain" Kidd), Irish (Walter Kennedy), and Welsh (Admiral Sir Henry Morgan) sailors. It seems, however, that the largest group of sailors came from the south-west of England (Edward Teach, AKA "Blackbeard" was a native of Bristol and Francis Drake was from Tavistock in Devon) than anywhere else, which is unsurprising, given the pre-eminence of Bristol as the main trading port with the West Indies. So Newton's accent may well have been historically accurate.
The accents must have been diverse. Reference to Black Bart Roberts and The Book of Welsh Pirates and Buccaneers, both by Terry Breverton, shows the birth places of captured pirates in the early 18th century to include Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Greece, Ghent, Liverpool, Antigua, Bristol, Canterbury, Whitby, York, Devon, Cornwall, Wiltshire, Berwick, Jersey, the Isle of Man and London.
Additionally, substantial numbers of crew members were escaped slaves of African descent from Antigua, and seamen from Sierra Leone. All crew members were treated equally, regardless of race, and shared the spoils.
It's probable that the pirate William Dampier, born in 1651 at East Coker, spoke with a Somerset accent, at least in his early years. He possessed remarkable intellect, and while engaged in questionable buccaneering activities he studied the animals, birds, botany and weather systems encountered on his travels. Later, as a more respectable captain of a Royal Navy ship, he circumnavigated three times and reached Australia before Captain Cook. His early home still stands in East Coker, and a plaque in the church reads: "To the memory of William Dampier, Buccaneer, Explorer, Hydrographer."
2. Vocabulary
Ahoy
Ahoy is the pirate equivalent of a greeting.
It can also be used in relation to incoming ships.
The Pirate says: "Ahoy mates!" Or "Ship ahoy!"
Aye
The pirate equivalent of "yes", aye can be used in a number is circumstances.
Captain says: "Will you bilge Pirate?"
Pirate says: "Aye, I will!"
Avast!
Literally means "stop," but it is also a piratey exclamation of surprise.
Pirate says: "Avast! It be the black ship!"
Arrr!
"Arrr" can be used by a pirate in almost any context. It can be used to express a pirate's approval, as a verbal declaration of his or her anger or sometimes as simply a way to ensure everybody around knows you are a vicious bloodthirsty pirate.
1) Pirate says: "Arrr! This be good grog!"
2) Pirate says: "Arrr! Matey!
Be
"Be" is commonly used by pirates in place of "am," "are," or "is." The past tense of "be" is "were" in singular and plural.
Bilge
The bilge is the very lowest level of a ship and is usually filled with filthy water. One of the puzzles in the game requires pirates to pump this water back out into the sea (making the ship more buoyant and faster.) It is also used to mean nonsense.
Black Spotted
Marked for death. In Puzzle Pirates, black-spotted pirates cannot communicate with others for a certain amount of time.
Booty
Goods and property gotten by force or piracy.
Hornswaggle
To cheat or defraud. Hornswaggling is a common occurrence amongst such dishonest folk as pirates.
Marooned
Abandoned on a deserted island or coast.
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- The Queen's English Or The Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation, often abbreviated to RP, is an accent of spoken English. Unlike other UK accents, it's identified not so much with a particular region as with a particular social group, although it has connections with the accent of Southern...
- English, Maori, And Maori English In New Zealand
Heather Ladd ©2007 A Brief History of New Zealand i. Exploration New Zealand (NZ), also called Aotearoa (?the land of the long white cloud?), is geographically comprised of two large islands?North Island and South Island?in the Southwest Pacific...
- How To Speak English Like The Irish
By Benny Ready to learn how to speak with an Irish accent in English? You may also enjoy my article about how to speak Irish (Gaeilge). Check out the most popular posts on the right for other topics you may find interesting, and subscribe to the blog...
- "queen?s" English
Background of "Queen?s" English: The notion of the "Queen?s" English or "King?s" English, depending on who is the ruler of the time, can be traced back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries where the idea that the monarch?s usage of the language...
- St. Patrick´s Day!
St. Patrick's Day is an Irish holiday celebrated all around the globe to honor the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. Read on to learn more about the origin of the holiday and about the man who inspired it or visit our "Fun Facts about St. Patrick's...