Tangier is an island off the coast of Virginia, in the Chesapeake Bay. Examining the accents of its residents, this place is seemingly frozen in time; they speak in an unusual, notably British-sounding, dialect. Their strange accent has attracted linguists, who chalk the dialect up to early British settlement patterns in America. Because the island is isolated (only accessible from the mainland by boat or plane), the British accent of the original settlers has remained, and grows stronger amongst today’s Tangier youth. The Tangier dialect has thrived, leftover from British settlers, but is threatened by an unexpected source: climate change. For this blog post, I’ve read a 2016 New York Times article raising awareness of the dangers of a rising sea level that Tangier residents face. Several reported flooding in their own yards, which is sure to worsen as the Bay encroaches upon their small island. According to the article, the island has lost “two-thirds of its landmass since 1850...
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