linguistics - Explanation and rules for adding and subtracting 'r's in British pronunciation?


For example, the sentence, "The Premier of China drank vodka and beer in his car with Obama." A BBC presenter would pronounce it like:


The Premieh of Chiner drank vodker and bee'h in his ca' with Obam-er.


In other words, they add 'r's where they don't belong and eliminate them where they do.


Is there any linguistic explanation for how this evolved? Are there any formal rules regarding this?




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