Linguistic "fossils" are more likely to be found outside of cities. In cosmopolitan centers, the crush of humanity often imposes rapid and uniform language change the same way it dictates rapid variations of taste in clothing, art and music. But people living in the country aren't exposed to urban trends and, thus, are more apt to maintain a style of speech which includes archaic elements. In much the same way, Appalachian music in America preserves Elizabethan musical styles more fully than modern music in England itself because Appalachia was off the beaten track and thus not exposed to later shifts in culture.

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