Estuary English: tomorrow’s RP or bastardized Cockney?

Abstract

The article deals with the so called Estuary English (an accent of English which originated near London within the estuary of the Thames – hence its name). Characteristic features of this accent are discussed. Its peculiarities are compared with the characteristic features of Received Pronunciation and non-standard Cockney speech, the dialect of native Londoners. The issue of the Estuary English social status is also discussed, since certain researchers claim that this accent is likely to gain the status of standard English accent, especially taking into account the increasing number of native speakers who defy Received Pronunciation.