By the end of this century, the slang I grew up speaking in my little pocket of inner-London with my mates will be the dominant dialect of Britain. According to Matt Gardner, a professor of linguistics at Oxford, Multicultural London English (MLE), will eventually rule the roost. MLE is a mixture of Jamaican, African, Asian and Cockney influences. Words like “peng” and “bare” will soon be part of the normal vocabulary up and down this green and pleasant land.
This is not surprising. The way we speak never stands still. When reading or watching a Shakespeare play, we need to adjust ourselves for his English. The Liverpool Scouse accent, one of the most distinctive in this country, emerged in the 19th century under the influence of Irish immigrants.
