Traditional Cockney is being squeezed out of the East End by a new dialect sweeping the capital.
Language experts have dubbed the hybrid dialect — which combines elements of West Indian, South Asian, Cockney and Estuary English — Multicultural London English, or MLE.
Paul Kerswill, professor of socio-linguistics at York University, told The Sunday Times: “All of these features have arisen out of the huge mix of languages and accents heard in some parts of London. “It’s the slang that gives it a Caribbean or American feel and its use in British hip-hop adds to this impression, too.”
The dialect includes slang of Afro-American or Jamaican origin, such as “blud” meaning friend, “mandem” for boys and “endz” for neighbourhood. Professor Kerswill said: “A lot of the core speakers are in the East End of London, where they have low opportunities, and so one of the mechanisms when people find themselves unable to make progress in life or (are) discriminated against is to speak differently.”
