Aye up! How we're all speaking like southerners now: Regional divisions in language being worn away Linguistics researchers at Manchester University surveyed 1,400 people Participants shown everyday objects and asked what they call them Pronunciation is also becoming more southern Traditionally, a sandwich shop is a pretty good place to work out where someone is from - do they order a roll, a bap or a barm? These days, however, it might not be such an accurate marker. Because wherever we live, more and more of us are now using "roll," once a southern word. Roll, barm or bap? Participants were shown a picture of everyday objects including a pair of trousers, a pair of shoes and what southerners would call a roll, and asked what word they would use for them A survey found that while many regional divisions remain, they are slowly being worn away - particularly when it comes to the word for a soft piece of bread. Linguistics researchers at Manchester University surveyed 1,400 people from Moray in Scotland down to Cornwall. They ranged in age from ten to 87. The participants were shown a picture of everyday objects including a pair of trousers, a pair of shoes and what southerners would call a roll, and asked what word they would use for them. The researchers then compared their results with maps put together several decades ago. The results showed that the word "bun" is still common in Tyneside, "barm" and "muffin" are used in the North West, "tea cake" north of Manchester and "cob" in the Midlands. But the word "roll" - which used to be used largely by those in the South East - is now used throughout the country, with more than a third of those who responded choosing it. The southern word trousers is also used across the country, whereas the word "pants" is restricted mostly to the North. The words "pumps" and "plimsolls" are used across the country, but the former is more prevalent in the North and the latter in the South. Pronunciation is also becoming more southern. Dr Laurel MacKenzie, who led the study, said: "This research shows a clear North-South divide in many of the words we choose to use when describing everyday items, and the way we pronounce them. North/South divide: The southern word trousers is also used across the country, whereas the word pants is restricted mostly to the North. The words pumps and plimsolls are used across the country, but the former is more prevalent in the North and the latter in the South Variation is pervasive in language, and often correlates with social factors, like age, socio-economic status and a person's place of origin. However, we've compared our maps to those put together a few decades ago, and it looks like the southern pronunciation is slowly creeping northward. Despite that, there are still significant regional variations in pronunciation. For example "one" and "gone" typically rhyme when spoken by northerners, but not southerners. Those in the Midlands, meanwhile, could not make up their mind if they were northern or southern. Like northerners, they rhyme "one" and "gone," but follow the South in failing to rhyme the words "foot" and "strut." Dr MacKenzie added: "It's not clear why different words are used to describe the same thing in different parts of the country. There are sometimes anecdotal explanations - for instance, daps, the South West's word for sports shoes, is said to be an abbreviation of Dunlop Athletic Plimsolls. The source of regional differences in pronunciation is often more clearly understood. Dr MacKenzie explained: "The northern way of rhyming the words "put" and "cut," for example, is faithful to how these words were pronounced centuries ago. Speakers in the South moved away from this pronunciation in the 1500s, but their way of saying these words didn't make it to the North.