> When I was at University
> there were two female first-year students, one from Sheffield and one
> from Bristol. ... two intelligent English-born women could not
> understand each other's dialect.
Yet one presumes they both managed to understand 'standard accent' British English, and make themselves understood by speakers of standard 'British English'. While the two different dialects may be mutually difficult to understand, both are intelligible to the 'standard' version of the language.
> In a less modern society, dialect is more of a challenge.
It can be. What is also likely to cause problems is changes in vocabulary and usage. Changes to the meaning of words can trip people up, too, until they figure out that the speakers are using the same word to refer to refer to different things.
(For example, in the Southeastern US, 'coke' is often a generic term for a carbonated beverage, which can lead to a disconnect when someone traveling outside that area asks for an "orange coke.")
>Travellers will probably be able to understand several dialects
>but the more sedentary and conservative ones will find it difficult
>to understand each other.
Sure. Broadly speaking, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Romanian are all dialects of Latin. Doesn't mean speaking one will let you speak all the others, but after learning one, people tend to find it easier to learn one of the others. :)
Dan
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