CAN you tell the difference between areas of Merseyside through the population’s accent?

Does a Wirralian speak differently from someone from Walton, and does accent define what is Liverpool and what is not?

What do the terms real Scouser, posh Scouser, plastic Scouser and woollyback mean to you? Are people from south Liverpool genuine Scousers?

We want readers of the Daily Post to tell us what areas should be classed as Liverpool as part of the Liverpool Map campaign.

Nowhere outside the city’s current limits will be assumed to be included in the map, so it is up to you to shape the project.

The final outcome will be an artistic representation of the Liverpool Map, which will be donated to the Museum of Liverpool as part of the 2008 celebrations.

English language lecturer at Liverpool University, Andrew Hamer, has researched the Scouse accent and its history in depth.

He said: “The Scouse dialect only really started to emerge in the late 19th century, as the accents of Irish settlers combined with the Lancashire accent.

“It is hard to say whether different areas have variations on the accent. We are currently looking into whether Scousers can distinguish correctly between accents from different areas of Merseyside.

“But from my research the type of Scouse accent you have depends more on your aspirations and friendship group than the area you live in.

“For instance, it has been noted that many young people in the Isle of Man are speaking with a strong Scouse accent and we think that is because they aspire to be from the city.

“They support the football clubs and many people from the island visit the city by ferry – there is a prestige associated with having the accent.

“The accent also tends to differ between gender.”

Dr Hamer thinks the strong identity of Liverpool as a city has influenced the accent and continues to do so: “Research shows that in some ways the accent is getting stronger – young Liverpudlians emphasise certain characteristics more than their parents and this is quite unusual.

“A trend that is often spoken of is the rationalisation of accents and this is definitely not happening in Liverpool.

“This must have something to do with people’s sense of individuality and pride.”

lizawilliams