--- In cybalist@..., "Piotr Gasiorowski" <gpiotr@...> wrote:
> Since down to the early 20th century all of the West Country plus
Surrey, Sussex and Kent (excluding the RP-dominated icing of the
social cake) spoke "retroflexing" accents of English, there is no
need to assume an overwhelming impact of Dutch or Irish pronunciation
on American Englishes. The quality of /r/ in Irish English is
likewise due to dialectal British English brought by 17th
century "planters". If Canadian English were Irish-derived, it would
surely show other Anglo-Irish features as well.
>
> Piotr
>
>
Which only leaves New England and Southern r-lessness to be explained.
Torsten