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Whether you listen in on a teenager or tune into the Kardashians, there's no denying that 'uptalking' has well and truly cemented itself in mainstream English speech.

But while TV shows such as Neighbours and Clueless have been blamed for the popularity of the speaking style, one scientist claims that the people to blame are, in fact, the Vikings.

Uptalking is a speech trait that involves raising the voice's pitch at the end of a sentence, even if it's not a question.

Daniel Hirst, professor of linguistics believes uptalk spread from the west coast of Scotland and Northumbria, the two areas plundered the worst by the Vikings, to other cities in the north

Stephen Fry described uptalk as the 'language of the Sunny Delight generation' and said he 'barely knows anyone under 20 who doesn't use it'.

However, far from being a new development, uptalk has in fact been part of many British dialects for centuries, according to a report by Oliver Moody in The Times.

For instance, Liverpudlian, Geordie and Belfast accents often use a rising intonation at the end of their statements.

Daniel Hirst, professor of linguistics at the Aix-Marseille University in France, claims there is a strong link between the areas plundered by the Vikings in the 9th Century, and the regions that use uptalk.

While TV shows such as Neighbours (pictured) and Clueless have been thought to contribute to the trend of uptalk, scientists claim the people to blame are the Vikings

'I have observed that the original distribution of these populations,' he said in a recent report.

'They were areas of intense raiding and settlement by Norwegian Vikings in the early 9th century.

'Recent genetic evidence suggests in fact that strong connections between these populations largely antedates the Viking raids.'

For instance, West Norwegian is one of the last languages in the world to keep rising intonation in statements.

Professor Hirst believes this trend spread from the west coast of Scotland and Northumbria to other cities in the North. These were the two areas plundered the worst by the Vikings.

Daniel Hirst, professor of linguistics at the Aix-Marseille University in France, claims there is a strong link between the areas plundered by the Viking in the 9th century, and the regions that use uptalk

There is, however, he says, a key difference between how the characters in Neighbours uses uptalk and its use in regional dialects.

'When a man from Belfast tells you, "I'm going to smash your face in" and his voice rises, he's being assertive,' Professor Hirst told the Times. 'But Australian uptalk is the opposite.' 

There has been a backlash against the trend of uptalk when it isn't part of a regional dialect, according to recent reports. 

A recent survey of 700 company bosses by publisher Pearson found upspeak could kill off the possibility of a promotion or a pay rise. 

An overwhelming majority of bosses – 71 per cent – said it was a 'particularly annoying trait', while 85 per cent witheringly added that it is a 'clear indicator of a person's insecurity or emotional weakness'.

More than half said it could damage an employee's professional credibility by revealing an inability or reluctance to speak their mind.

MEN HAVE STARTED TO TALK LIKE WOMEN BY USING UPTALK, STUDY SAYS 

Uptalk is often associated with  Clueless lead character Cher Horowitz (pictured)

First men became enamoured with grooming regimes, but now it seems the metrosexual man has started talking in a more feminine way too.

A new study has revealed that modern men are starting to 'uptalk' by rising in pitch at the ends of sentences. 

Scientists came across the finding when they were trying to investigate the difference between uptalkers making a statement and asking a question.

Uptalkers are stereotypically parodied as insecure, shallow and not very clever females.

However, scientists from the University of California, San Diego, who recorded the voices of 24 young southern Californians, found that the 12 men they studied also uptalked and the speakers came from different backgrounds - not just mansions in Beverley Hills.

They were given several speech tasks, such as providing directions from a map, or recounting what happened after watching a clip from a popular sitcom.

'We found use of uptalk in all of our speakers, despite their diverse backgrounds in socio-economic status, ethnicity, bilingualism and gender,' study leader Dr Amanda Ritchart, a linguist at the university said.