Local talk in the city known variously as Londonderry, Derry and, more recently, as Stroke City. Its very name speaks of deep-seated political, social, even linguistic divisions. Known to one section of its inhabitants as Derry, to another as Londonderry, Northern Ireland's second city has a complex linguistic history shaped by waves of settlement and political allegiance. Recently the city's inhabitants have embraced the unofficial name Stroke City, circumventing the linguistic minefield of Derry vs. Londonderry. Melvyn Bragg travelled to the city with two communities, three names and even more varieties of spoken English to investigate how politics and prayer have influenced local speech.
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