When attempting to answer this question, I first tried to identify other accents I have heard before that sounded similar to the Newfoundlander accent. It struck me that the Irish accent was extremely similar to the Newfoundlander accent! In hindsight this should have been a faster realization due to the glaring similarities between the tricolor flag of Newfoundland and the Irish flag (shown below).
Tricolor Flag of Newfoundland
Flag of the Republic of Ireland
After some research, I learned that the Irish were the original settlers in the province of Newfoundland (Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Web, 2016). However, the Irish also settled in other parts of Canada. Why then did the Newfoundlanders have such a distinct accent from the rest of Canada?
I believe it has to do with separation. Newfoundland is an island, separated from the rest of Canada by cold and icy waters. This made travel to and from Newfoundland difficult. When people speaking the same language are isolated from each other, each group often develops a strong and unique dialect (Harley, 2006). This uniqueness can clearly be heard when interacting with any Newfoundlander.
The Newfoundlander accent can be heard in a word like "think." A Newfoundlander would pronounce this word as /tɪŋk/ instead of as /θɪŋk/ (Harley, 2006). This change in place and manner of articulation (from the traditional voiceless interdental fricative /θ/ to the Newfoundlander voiceless alveolar stop /t/) results in one of the most interesting and endearing accents I have come across in my travels.
References
Harley, Heidi. 2006. English Words: A Linguistic Introduction. Malden, MA. Blackwell.
Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Web. 2016. "The Irish in Newfoundland." Memorial University. http://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/society/irish-newfoundland.php (accessed August 31, 2016)
