How Siri could spell the end of glaikit bampots
THE rise of voice-controlled devices is set to change the way we speak – killing off couthy Scots words such as bampot, glaikit and stooshie. New research suggests conversations with virtual reality assistants, such as Alexa from Amazon and Siri from Apple, will influence speech patterns and erase regional accents.
This is expected to happen as speech becomes the main way of interacting with digital devices, household appliances and cars.
The claims come in a study published by language experts Dr Dominic Watt, of York University, and Brendan Gunn, who has been a dialect coach to stars such as Brad Pitt and Robert De Niro.
‘This technological advance will impact the way we talk, leading to the permanent evolution of language and dialects,’ it says.
The report suggests this will smooth out people’s accents, making it more difficult to place where someone comes from. But it insists this does not mean we will simply mimic the bland computer-speak voices we are dealing with.
The research expects increased use of Americanisms, tech-inspired words and spoken abbreviations like ‘Totes’, ‘Emosh’ and ‘LOL’. Significantly, it also predicts traditional Scottish words may be phased out of everyday language. The authors said it is ‘clear’ that urban Scots words such as bampot, glaikit and stooshie are already on the wane among Scots children.
Pronunciations such as ‘gless’ (glass), ‘hame’ (home) or ‘fit’ (foot) may soon come to seem too oldfashioned for youngsters to use.
With a spread of urban dialects such as Multicultural London English – which incorporates pronunciations from Caribbean, West African and Asian communities – the report suggests words like ‘this’ and ‘that’, will become ‘dis’ and ‘dat’, while ‘fink’ will replace ‘think’ and ‘mother’ will become ‘muvver’.
Looking at trends over the next 50 years, the report says: ‘A preference for informal, chatty and jokey language in the technological and scientific domains is a recent phenomenon, but it’s one which makes these areas seem more accessible and less po-faced, and we are likely to see more and more of it.’
Amazon yesterday began shipping its new ‘echo’ devices across the UK, which allow families to communicate with household devices and the web through voice, rather than a keyboard, mouse or touchscreen.
The report predicts: ‘As computers become more intelligent and advanced, it is thought they will also start introducing new words to us which will then be incorporated into our everyday language.
‘With so many innovations in computing come from California, laid-back American English will be increasingly prominent.
‘Another newcomer is Multicultural London English. Over the next 50 years, MLE is predicted to spread from its London roots further throughout the UK.’
Dr Watt also highlighted the popularity of ‘box set bingeing’ of shows such as The Big Bang Theory and The Simpsons as a possible reason for the adoption of American catchphrases and expressions.
‘In just one generation, the sound of our cities, work places and homes will continue to develop and evolve quite audible differences,’ he said.
The study was commissioned by HSBC to mark the launch of its voice recognition system allowing phone customers to be helped by staff without having to go through security questions.
Francesca McDonagh, HSBC’s head of retail banking, said: ‘Speech and language is going to play more of an important role in our lives as, by 2066, most of the technology in our homes and work will be voice activated with a voiceprint.’
‘Advance will impact the way we talk’