▁split . ▁ ▁The ▁sound ▁change ▁originally ▁occurred ▁in ▁southern ▁England , ▁and ▁ultimately ▁changed ▁the ▁sound ▁of ▁ ▁to ▁ ▁in ▁some ▁words ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁former ▁sound ▁appeared ▁before ▁, ▁leading ▁to ▁R P ▁ ▁for ▁path ▁and ▁ ▁for ▁sample , ▁etc . ▁ ▁The ▁sound ▁change ▁did ▁not ▁occur ▁before ▁other ▁con son ants ; ▁thus ▁acc ents ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁split ▁preserve ▁ ▁in ▁words ▁like ▁cat . ▁ ▁( See ▁the ▁section ▁below ▁for ▁more ▁details ▁on ▁the ▁words ▁affected .) ▁ ▁The ▁length ening ▁of ▁the ▁bath ▁v owel ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁but ▁was ▁" st ig mat ised ▁as ▁a ▁C ock ney ism ▁until ▁well ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ". ▁ ▁British ▁acc ents ▁ ▁The ▁presence ▁or ▁absence ▁of ▁this ▁split ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁notice able ▁differences ▁between ▁different ▁acc ents ▁of ▁English ▁English . ▁An ▁is og loss ▁runs ▁across ▁the ▁Mid lands ▁from ▁the ▁W ash ▁to ▁the ▁Wel sh ▁border , ▁passing ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁cities ▁of ▁B irmingham ▁and ▁Le ic ester . ▁North ▁of ▁the ▁is og loss , ▁the ▁v owel ▁in ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁affected ▁words ▁is ▁usually ▁the ▁same ▁short - a ▁as ▁in ▁cat ; ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁is og loss , ▁the ▁v owel ▁in ▁the ▁affected ▁words ▁is ▁generally ▁long . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁some ▁variation ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁is og loss ; ▁for ▁example ▁in ▁the ▁dialect ▁of ▁B