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Other Topics => Off Topic Discussion => Topic started by: Flick James on October 07, 2011, 10:10:13 AM



Title: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Flick James on October 07, 2011, 10:10:13 AM
I've always had and interest in accents, regional dialects, cultural manners of speaking, etc. Call me a very amateur linguist.

My in-laws are from Ireland and they have fairly thick accents. Further, they are Belfast Irish, which means their accents more distinct than the rest of the Isle and have have a particularly interesing lilt. Almost every sentence rises at the end, to the point that if you're not from there, it can be difficult to determine when you're being asked a question. Everytime I've gone there to visit her family it takes me a few days to get acclimated and figure that out. By the end of the trip, while I'm not speaking with an accent, I'm starting to have that rise at the end of my sentences.

Another peculiar part of the Belfast Irish accent is the pronunciation of words like out and round. It sounds like "ite" and "rind." It took me forever to figure out how that pronunciation worked. In Northern Ireland, they have alot of what we would call traffic circles, but they call them "roundabouts." But they pronounce it so it sounds like "rine-da-bites." It wasn't until I was talking to my father-in-law and he was talking about the accent and how, if you're not from there, the best way to imitate it is to use that long-vowel "i" sound. Sure enough, as soon as I said, "rine-da-bite," I sounded just like a Belfast boy.

My 3 1/2 year old son, when he was just over two, was just starting to develop a vocabularly. My in-laws visited for almost a month to help out with the newborn. By the time they left my son, when asking to go outside, started pronouncing it "ite-side." That cracked my father-in-law up. "Ay, he sounds like a wee Belfast man."

Anyway, what are some of the bizarre accents and dialects you've run into?


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Mr. DS on October 07, 2011, 10:46:49 AM
In RI its all over the place but oddly varies from town to town.  Its actually difficult for me to describe.  People in my area have a very sharp dialog combined with the RI accent.  In other parts its very much slowed down.  Basically natives drop their "r" but vary in speed.


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: tracy on October 07, 2011, 02:37:34 PM
Well,I work in a convenience store so I occassionally run into folks from other countries. I've heard German and English and Australian but the most interesting one I've heard so far is a young man here in Texas for the dirt bike races. He was from South Africa and had a delightful accent.


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Flick James on October 07, 2011, 03:47:16 PM
My 6 years in the Navy taught me some of the nuances in Southern accents depending on the area. I had a good friend from Alabama and a good friend from Tennessee, and their accents and manners of speaking were noticeably different. The guy from Tennessee, I swear some single-syllable words turned into two-syllable words. For example, the word "fork" was somehow "foh-erk." I noticed another guy I knew in the Navy from Arkansas also had a similar phenomenon with the word "fork."

Then there's differences in Southern accents among black folks. I met a guy, and I can't remember what state he came from, but he applied the most interesting pronunciation of the word "orange" I'd ever heard. I swear it sounded like "ernge," like the word "urn" but with a soft "g" applied to the end. I questioned him about and he laughed, saying he gets made fun of all the time, by white and black folks alike, but in the small town he came from down south, that's just how everybody said it. He also said it sucked because that was his favorite fruit and he ate them all the time.


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: dean on October 07, 2011, 09:30:42 PM
I can't help but laugh at an Irish accent.  I can't help it.  Funniest way of speaking ever!  Love the people but by god is it hard not to laugh.  Scots to a lesser degree too.


Some Aussie stand up to show part of what my accent is like, both the clips have something to say about accents as well so that's helpful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpBYnL5fAXE


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECzKywTQXeI&feature=related


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: indianasmith on October 07, 2011, 09:46:07 PM
Years ago, I interviewed a 105 year old World War I veteran whose father was actually born a slave.  He had an incredible Deep South Negro dialect that was straight out of the slave cabins - I'd heard such voices in very old movies from the 1930's, but never from a living mouth before!

The absolute coolest thing I remember from the interview was when he told me that on the day that his "Colored Regiment" was being put into the line to fight, the Armistice was signed and the War ended.  I asked if he was more relieved or disappointed, and he replied in that soft drawl: (which I am trying to reproduce phonetically here)  "Waaal, I reckun I'se mosely relieved.  But I was a mite disaponted too.  I figga it be de only chance n***a evah have to shewt a wite man an git away wiv it!!"

He died a couple of years later at the age of 107.  At the time of his death he was Texas' oldest veteran.  I remember much of the rest of the interview if anyone wants to hear more.  Didn't mean to hijack the thread.


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Flick James on October 07, 2011, 11:25:32 PM
Years ago, I interviewed a 105 year old World War I veteran whose father was actually born a slave.  He had an incredible Deep South Negro dialect that was straight out of the slave cabins - I'd heard such voices in very old movies from the 1930's, but never from a living mouth before!

The absolute coolest thing I remember from the interview was when he told me that on the day that his "Colored Regiment" was being put into the line to fight, the Armistice was signed and the War ended.  I asked if he was more relieved or disappointed, and he replied in that soft drawl: (which I am trying to reproduce phonetically here)  "Waaal, I reckun I'se mosely relieved.  But I was a mite disaponted too.  I figga it be de only chance n***a evah have to shewt a wite man an git away wiv it!!"

He died a couple of years later at the age of 107.  At the time of his death he was Texas' oldest veteran.  I remember much of the rest of the interview if anyone wants to hear more.  Didn't mean to hijack the thread.

Well, seeing as it had alot to do with the title of the thread I would hardly call it hijacking.


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: zombie no.one on October 08, 2011, 03:10:07 AM
I know a guy from Cork (southern ireland) and he doesn't pronounce the "th" sound of anything, just the t

one two tree!

a thick geordie accent (north east england) is borderline impossible to understand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSHHbfY6MVc



Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Flick James on October 08, 2011, 10:22:43 AM
I know a guy from Cork (southern ireland) and he doesn't pronounce the "th" sound of anything, just the t

one two tree!

a thick geordie accent (north east england) is borderline impossible to understand

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSHHbfY6MVc[/url]




I know a guy who lives locally who is from Cork, and he does the same thing. He commonly uses the phrase "to tell the truth," which of couse comes out "to tell the trute."


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: ER on October 08, 2011, 12:32:52 PM
My mother was born in Galway and lived there until she was almost eighteen and when she came here, the story I've heard is, she wanted to stand out less for her accent, so within a few months, completely on her own, she taught herself to sound perfectly Middle-American to the point very few people knew she wasn't from the United States. That's how I think of her talking, like us over here, but the strange thing is, when she's back with her family in Ireland, she can instantly sound exactly like they do. She can almost unconsciously change her accent almost like someone can speak a different language. It's made me wonder which is her real voice, you know?


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Ed, Ego and Superego on October 10, 2011, 01:37:13 PM
I must say a girl with a Scottish accent makes my heart go aflutter... its a holdever froma  magical date 20 years ago. 

One thing I find, after talking in a phone job for 10 years, is how certain accents can make a person sound just plain dim.  Its amazing.
-Ed


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: HappyGilmore on October 10, 2011, 08:38:58 PM
Dom Irrera.  Kinda fits the South Philly accent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URU33qxPtPU

Even better video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKpQRgMRAf4

We say "wooder" in place of water.  Say 'wit' instead of 'with'.


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Rev. Powell on October 11, 2011, 09:31:55 AM
Mexicans pronounce "hello" so that it sounds like "hola."


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Flick James on October 11, 2011, 11:47:41 AM
Mexicans pronounce "hello" so that it sounds like "hola."

Please tell me that's a joke, Rev. If it is, that's damn good.


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Rev. Powell on October 11, 2011, 01:14:04 PM
Mexicans pronounce "hello" so that it sounds like "hola."

Please tell me that's a joke, Rev. If it is, that's damn good.

Actually, if i have to explain that it's a joke then it wasn't damn good.  But I amuse myself.


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: JaseSF on October 12, 2011, 09:26:43 PM
To most who come here from away, we talk well way too fast for most of 'em.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjY6rMXtCl4


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Flangepart on October 15, 2011, 11:24:00 AM
Accents are fun. I like to do the Scotts when I'm in the mood. Ya wanna learn it right, listen to Craig Ferguson read his autobiography, AMERICAN BY CHOICE.
As long as I can make out the word, accents don't throw me. I think some folks have more trouble when they realize they have to think to make out the words, and it irritates them.

I think of an accent as the icing on the cake of language. A nice extra bit of character. As an Ohio guy, we have the beige of accents. It's just there...that's why I use other peoples accents, to liven things up, Aye Jimmy!


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: alandhopewell on October 15, 2011, 12:43:44 PM
My 6 years in the Navy taught me some of the nuances in Southern accents depending on the area. I had a good friend from Alabama and a good friend from Tennessee, and their accents and manners of speaking were noticeably different. The guy from Tennessee, I swear some single-syllable words turned into two-syllable words. For example, the word "fork" was somehow "foh-erk." I noticed another guy I knew in the Navy from Arkansas also had a similar phenomenon with the word "fork."

Then there's differences in Southern accents among black folks. I met a guy, and I can't remember what state he came from, but he applied the most interesting pronunciation of the word "orange" I'd ever heard. I swear it sounded like "ernge," like the word "urn" but with a soft "g" applied to the end. I questioned him about and he laughed, saying he gets made fun of all the time, by white and black folks alike, but in the small town he came from down south, that's just how everybody said it. He also said it sucked because that was his favorite fruit and he ate them all the time.

     When I worked  for Marriott, one of my bosses was a black woman. One day, Antionette tells me to go get an "errn"....I was clueless until she said, "Your shirt is wrinkled".

     I'm not sure, but I think that some black pronunciations of things are deliberate cultural identifiers, such as pronouncing the "w" in "sword".

     Me, I speak Standard English, with a slight Midwestern (Ohio) accent, although I pick up accents unconsciously sometimes. When in a playful mood, I may slide into DudeSpeech; drives some other black folks crazy, for some reason.


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: alandhopewell on October 15, 2011, 12:46:33 PM
Accents are fun. I like to do the Scotts when I'm in the mood. Ya wanna learn it right, listen to Craig Ferguson read his autobiography, AMERICAN BY CHOICE.
As long as I can make out the word, accents don't throw me. I think some folks have more trouble when they realize they have to think to make out the words, and it irritates them.

I think of an accent as the icing on the cake of language. A nice extra bit of character. As an Ohio guy, we have the beige of accents. It's just there...that's why I use other peoples accents, to liven things up, Aye Jimmy!

     I do that, and fer th'same reason, laddie....also, I've a wee stutter, and doing an accent (or a "radio" voice) neutralizes it.


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Mofo Rising on October 16, 2011, 03:44:50 AM
I think everybody has speech indicators that they are unaware of, and as subtle as they are they can be picked up upon.

I remember being very surprised when a coworker of mine at a pizza place I was working at in Phoenix identified me as being from up north. He correctly identified that I had a sort of Canadian drawl to my voice; I'm from Southeast Alaska. All I could think was, "Really? I sound Canadian?" It can be really location specific, too. I remember the people from some of the smaller (mostly) Indian villages had a very definite cadence to their voices. I can't really describe it, but it's unmistakable.

There are also some manners of speaking that are not geographically centered, but seem to be culturally influenced. I don't mean this to open up a powderkeg, because it certainly isn't universal. A predominant example is the stereotypical "gay male" voice. Or even the "redneck" voice. Those two seem immediately identifiable, but they don't really have a geographic center, they just tend to pop up in subcultures.

Again, let me stress that those speech patterns are not restricted to those groups, or even reliable indicators. (I can tell you for a fact they aren't.) Read this (http://www.tc.umn.edu/~munso005/MunsonAndZimmerman.pdf). Heck, consider that the "surfer dude" or "valley girl" is not restricted to age or California.

It should be noted that every dialect follows its own rules of speech. I remember the furor over ebonics, when it was introduced as a concept about a decade or so ago. A dialect may not sound "proper" to a language purist weened on newscaster English, but it is internally consistent. Every person has internal language rules that they follow, it just seems to be how language is learned.

I'm not a language purist. Language is fluid and living. I am a stickler for good grammar and punctuation, but that's only because I read a lot of text and prize clarity. But I'll incorporate anything and even make up words if I think it serves a purpose.

"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man."


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Flick James on October 16, 2011, 10:11:51 AM
Quote
Again, let me stress that those speech patterns are not restricted to those groups, or even reliable indicators. (I can tell you for a fact they aren't.) Read this. Heck, consider that the "surfer dude" or "valley girl" is not restricted to age or California.

I'm confused. Is this the powderkeg you were afraid of opening?

But seriously folks. Once upon a time, the "Californese" you speak of was regionally significant once upon a time. Somehow over the last 30 years it got somewhat absorbed into Americana.


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Mofo Rising on October 17, 2011, 03:50:59 AM
Quote
Again, let me stress that those speech patterns are not restricted to those groups, or even reliable indicators. (I can tell you for a fact they aren't.) Read this. Heck, consider that the "surfer dude" or "valley girl" is not restricted to age or California.

I'm confused. Is this the powderkeg you were afraid of opening?

But seriously folks. Once upon a time, the "Californese" you speak of was regionally significant once upon a time. Somehow over the last 30 years it got somewhat absorbed into Americana.

I was hedging my bets since I really don't want the powerful Valley Girl Anti-Defamation League hounding me for misplaced words. I still remember how the Clueless debacle tore this country apart, and I would hate to pick at that wound again.


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Trevor on October 17, 2011, 04:22:34 AM
Well,I work in a convenience store so I occassionally run into folks from other countries. I've heard German and English and Australian but the most interesting one I've heard so far is a young man here in Texas for the dirt bike races. He was from South Africa and had a delightful accent.

That is not the only delightful thing about people from South Africa, I can tell you. Aside from the horrible state of one particular South African's underpants, we're pretty nice people really.  :wink: :teddyr:


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Flick James on November 08, 2011, 11:25:38 AM
My mother-in-law, originally from Belfast, has this saying that I heard a couple of dozen times before I found out what she was saying, but what I thought she was saying was off-color.

What she was actually saying was: "have a titter of wit." It's carries the same meaning as "have an ounce of sense."

Because of her accent and fast manner of speaking, I kept hearing "have a tit or a wit."

I must have heard this a couple dozen times at least, not really knowing how to respond if it was said to me. Because she was my future mother-in-law, and I didn't know what she was saying, and because what I thought it sounded like I just kind of nervously grinned and nodded most of the time like an idiot. In my mind I'm thinking "Is she saying 'have a tit or a wit,' and if so, why?"

Finally, a friend of the family who was sitting at the table, and who was also from Ireland and a brilliant smart-ass in his own right, and who had wisely picked up that I was struggling with this, leaned over and said to me "if I were you I'd take the tit."


Title: Re: Accents and Regional Dialects
Post by: Paquita on November 08, 2011, 01:00:46 PM
My dad had a bit of a Cajun accent.. I don't know where he got it, I don't think he'd ever even been to Louisiana.  I wasn't even sure it was Cajun until I was flipping through the TV one day and caught the Cajun chef and he talked just like my dad!

A few years ago I met two Irish tourists and gave them directions to get to Wrigley Field, and they told me I had the most adorable American accent they ever heard!  I turned around and got all excited and thought "I HAVE AN ACCENT??!?!"  I'm sure they were just being nice, I don't think I sound any different from anyone else.