Cockney Dialect

This thesis aims to provide the reader with a comprehensive description of phonetic, lexical and grammatical variations of the Cockney dialect. Not only does it comment on the linguistic aspects of Cockney, but it also refers to the sociolinguistic point of view, offering a comparison of Cockney and the Queen's English based on Bishop and Coupland's sociological survey of English accents. Moreover, it gives the reader a historical overview of Cockney, presenting Cockney's development and its influence on the standard forms of English. As an additional source of information, my own questionnaire research was conducted. The survey attempts to support the notion that Cockney with its long history is not a dialect that is dying out, but a dialect that still influences the speech of people outside London. The results of my survey confirm the relevant status of Cockney among modern British dialects