WIKITONGUES: Trey speaking Bermudian English

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This video was recorded by Trey Tucker in Bermuda. Bermudian English is spoken by as many as 72,000 people, primarily in the North Atlantic island of Bermuda, an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. It is perhaps one of the most under-researched varieties of the English language, having emerged in the early 17th century and developed with successive waves of immigration to Bermuda. Given its proximity to North America and the political influence of the United Kingdom, Bermudian English retains characteristics of both North American and British English—so much so that speakers from both dialect continuums tend to recognize Bermudian as belonging to the other. Bermudian has also been influenced by Caribbean English, Caribbean creole languages, and Azorean Portuguese. While Bermudian English is commonly spoken throughout Bermuda, Standard British English is formally used in politics, education, and most media. Therefore, most Bermudians switch between the two on a daily basis, a phenomenon that linguists call 'diglossia'.

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