# Aaarrrr, ye scurvy seadogs! Tell us the tale of "pirate English," true and square! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaarrrr-ye-scurvy-seadogs-tell-us-the-tale-of-pirate-english-true-and-square/282726 "2005-01-02T19:30:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaarrrr-ye-scurvy-seadogs-tell-us-the-tale-of-pirate-english-true-and-square/282726/1 "2005-01-02T19:30:03Z")
There’s a Hollywood convention – by now a widespread cultural convention – that English or English-speaking pirates of the 17th and 18th Centuries spoke a unique dialect of English, with several idiosyncratic words and phrases, and growly and gravelly as George Thoroughgood’s voice.\* It was not, apparently, the dialect of any region, ethnic group or social class in the British Isles, nor – according to the movies, at least – was it spoken by sailors on legitimate merchant vessels, nor by sailors of the Royal Navy. Where did it come from? Is there any historical evidence pirates actually talked like that? \*Gary Larson cartoon: Execs at a board meeting. Caption: “All those who like making pirate sounds signify by saying ‘Aye!’ All those who like making animal sounds signify by saying ‘Nay!’” ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaarrrr-ye-scurvy-seadogs-tell-us-the-tale-of-pirate-english-true-and-square/282726/2 "2005-01-02T20:10:46Z")
I believe the “pirate” style of speech is based on English spoken in the Southwest part of the island, particularly Devon & Cornwall. Sir Francis Drake & his men came from there–& he did engage in piracy along with the exploration. Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” was set in Cornwall & the movies based on the book make liberal use of the Cornish accent. Especially as spoken by Long John Silverhero. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaarrrr-ye-scurvy-seadogs-tell-us-the-tale-of-pirate-english-true-and-square/282726/3 "2005-01-02T20:46:36Z")
A bit off topic, but here’s a fun article about pirates from Modern Drunkard Magazine. [http://www.moderndrunkardmagazine.com/issues/10\_04/10-04-pirates.htm](http://www.moderndrunkardmagazine.com/issues/10_04/10-04-pirates.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaarrrr-ye-scurvy-seadogs-tell-us-the-tale-of-pirate-english-true-and-square/282726/4 "2005-01-02T20:54:33Z")
I was under the impression that “Pirate English” was largely invented by Wallace Beery and Robert Newton, the two actors who best portrayed Long John Silver in two different movie versions of “Treasure Island.” Watch the movies, and you’ll immediately understand the gravelly voice and the incessant use of “Arr!” ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaarrrr-ye-scurvy-seadogs-tell-us-the-tale-of-pirate-english-true-and-square/282726/5 "2005-01-03T19:24:06Z")
I have seen the old sea dog growl refered to as a"West Country" accent, though it was in a 19th Century context. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaarrrr-ye-scurvy-seadogs-tell-us-the-tale-of-pirate-english-true-and-square/282726/6 "2005-01-03T22:56:20Z")
I don’t hear any connection between ‘pirate’ speech and the West Country accent (and I do a bad imitation of each :eek: ). the fact that ‘Aaarrggghh - Jim lad!’ is a popular example of ‘pirate’ speech makes me agree that it’s based on an actor in ‘Treasure Island’ (as Jim Hawkins is the young hero in that.) ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaarrrr-ye-scurvy-seadogs-tell-us-the-tale-of-pirate-english-true-and-square/282726/7 "2005-01-03T23:08:01Z")
> [@Bridget Burke](#): > > I believe the “pirate” style of speech is based on English spoken in the Southwest part of the island, particularly Devon & Cornwall. Sir Francis Drake & his men came from there-… Nitpick, but Drake was south-western by birth only - most of his childhood was in Kent. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaarrrr-ye-scurvy-seadogs-tell-us-the-tale-of-pirate-english-true-and-square/282726/8 "2005-01-04T02:23:41Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > \*Gary Larson cartoon: Execs at a board meeting. Caption: “All those who like making pirate sounds signify by saying ‘Aye!’ All those who like making animal sounds signify by saying ‘Nay!’” Actually, I don’t think it was Gary Larson – it was a cartoon I saw in a magazine, maybe _The New Yorker._