Best Stupid Guest Ever

[BRWombat]

Zazu can confirm or deny this, but I heard on some Discovery Channel show or something that the way we speak in the Pacific Northwest, Toronto and like places is actually what the English (British) accent was sometime around the 1400's. I would love if that was true, but I'll still sleep well tonight if not.

Wallaby, I've read and heard repeatedly through the years that the Pacific Northwest "accent" is the closest to correct English, in that there is no particular regional accent as there is in most other parts of the country.

I was born in SE Texas -- major drawl there, plus a strong Cajun influence -- but moved to the Denver area when I was seven. Since Colorado speech is pretty neutral accent-wise and I lived there into my college years, I lost the drawl -- and proudly, I might add -- but I'm afraid being back in Texas (for 24 years now) it's seeped back into my speech in spite of my best efforts.

[Amphigorey]

I was really hoping no Canadian friends would call me on that. Actually, I can always point out people from Toronto or Vancouver because their accent is so close to mine (which is considered not really having an accent).

Zazu can confirm or deny this, but I heard on some Discovery Channel show or something that the way we speak in the Pacific Northwest, Toronto and like places is actually what the English (British) accent was sometime around the 1400's. I would love if that was true, but I'll still sleep well tonight if not.

But I think the only real difference between a lot of Canadians and me is how we say words like "couch", etc.

There isn't really any such thing as "not having an accent." Everybody has an accent; it's just that some accents and dialects are dominant. Standard American English is as distinctive as Scottish English to a linguist.

What you heard on the Discovery Channel is a little bit true, but misleading. English was in the middle of the Great Vowel Shift (no really, I'm not making this up) in the 1400s, in which the pronunciation of vowels changed quite a bit. Most of the vowel pronunciations got raised, and some became dipthongs. (What I mean by "raised" is that the tongue placement became higher; for example, "feet" used to sound more like "fate.") This, incidentally, explains why some of Shakespeare's rhymes no longer rhyme in modern English.

Signed, Your Friendly Neighborhood Linguistics Geek

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

There isn't really any such thing as "not having an accent." Everybody has an accent; it's just that some accents and dialects are dominant. Standard American English is as distinctive as Scottish English to a linguist.

What you heard on the Discovery Channel is a little bit true, but misleading. English was in the middle of the Great Vowel Shift (no really, I'm not making this up) in the 1400s, in which the pronunciation of vowels changed quite a bit. Most of the vowel pronunciations got raised, and some became dipthongs. (What I mean by "raised" is that the tongue placement became higher; for example, "feet" used to sound more like "fate.") This, incidentally, explains why some of Shakespeare's rhymes no longer rhyme in modern English.

Signed, Your Friendly Neighborhood Linguistics Geek

OH!

So..

"There once was a lad from Nantucket...."




hehehehe

[NessaMcTastic]

There isn't really any such thing as "not having an accent." Everybody has an accent; it's just that some accents and dialects are dominant. Standard American English is as distinctive as Scottish English to a linguist.

What you heard on the Discovery Channel is a little bit true, but misleading. English was in the middle of the Great Vowel Shift (no really, I'm not making this up) in the 1400s, in which the pronunciation of vowels changed quite a bit. Most of the vowel pronunciations got raised, and some became dipthongs. (What I mean by "raised" is that the tongue placement became higher; for example, "feet" used to sound more like "fate.") This, incidentally, explains why some of Shakespeare's rhymes no longer rhyme in modern English.

Signed, Your Friendly Neighborhood Linguistics Geek

I'm going back to school to study Linguistics in September and this thread and the above post has really made me so excited to study it and hopefully use it in my career in the US Air Force.

*happy geeky sigh*

[felinefan]

Frankly, I thought nobody west of the Rockies had an accent, unless they were from somewhere else. I once read a newspaper article on a lady who teaches not only accent correction, but teaches accents to actors. I remember in the article that she said that people from California sound like they come from nowhere.

My mom is from Pennsylvania, my dad is from Oklahoma, and all but the youngest of us were born in Massachusetts (dad was in the army); my youngest sister is a California native. Up until I was in my teens I was asked where I was from--I didn't think my speech was distinctive at all--because I was 4 years old when we left MA. But I do pronounce "herbs" with the H, because to me it makes sense, and "erbs" sounds weird.

Back in the mid-60s, we went to Australia, original intention was to emigrate there, but we only stayed 6 months. Anyway, when I and my younger sister were getting enrolled in school in Sydney, I got a huge splinter in my hand from a very rough wooden fence. When we finally got to a doctor (long story), the nun who was the nurse was initially very rude to my mom. But when mom happened to mention we were Americans, and that she was from Pennsylvania, well, the nun got all flustered and apologized--she thought mom's mid-Atlantic accent was British! At that time, relations between Great Britain and Australia weren't the coziest--I remember hearing that when the Beatles had a concert there, the Aussies threw rocks at them. Needless to say, I think it's safe to say Aussies and Pommies, as the Aussies call the British, are much better now. And once while we were there, my dad was asked if he was a Yank from the way he kept pronouncing a certain word--I don't remember what it was-- yep, that Okie nasal twang'll make ya stand out every time!
In fact, I recently read that people in the town of Boron, in southern Kern County, speak with Okie accents because they are descended from Okies who came to California to work during the Great Depression. Plus, it is a bit isolated....

[NessaMcTastic]

In fact, I recently read that people in the town of Boron, in southern Kern County, speak with Okie accents because they are descended from Okies who came to California to work during the Great Depression. Plus, it is a bit isolated....

I'm a Jersey girl born and raised but what I've never understood is why folks from South Jersey have a slight southern twang. They don't have that nasally "Joisey" accent like those of us closer to NY. My little neck of the woods has it's own accent though. There's a slight "Joise" but since my town/county is a large immigrant Latin community I've got a weird mix of Bronx/Brooklyn, Joisey, Hispanic accent. Not many people can hear it when I talk away from people in my area but when I speak with my sisters, my boyfriend (from Spokane WA and a very odd accent to my ears) says I sound totally different.

You can get the girl away from the platanos but you can take the platanos out of the girl I guess!

[Whazzup]

Frankly, I thought nobody west of the Rockies had an accent, unless they were from somewhere else. I once read a newspaper article on a lady who teaches not only accent correction, but teaches accents to actors. I remember in the article that she said that people from California sound like they come from nowhere.

Well, now there's that Valley Girl accent or whatever you want to call it that has infiltrated the SoCal speech patterns. If I were more of a linguist I'd try to explain it. Amphigorey, do you know what I'm talking about and can you describe it?

[Syndrome]

It's funny how accents are mutilated in movies and TV sometimes. I come from the South Side of Chicago, and most people think we sound like the guys on SNL who were always talking about Da Bulls and Da Bears. Nope, I'm afraid they didn't have the accent right! People here in the South know I have an accent, but they usually end up pegging it as Minnesota and are quite surprised when I tell 'em it's a REAL South Side Chicago twang.

[Mayonnaise]

I've always considered my area to be one of those nearly accent less regions, around here in Upstate New York (Not Rochester... they DO have an accent in Rochester, I'm nearer Albany.) I say this because we all sound here, pretty much the way people do on television when they're not acknowledged as having an accent... unless Mulder and Scully have an accent no one mentioned. *Giggles.*

I was once accused of having an accent... but that was in Virginia, by a 12 year old with a distinct southern drawl. Apparently I sound like a "Yankee."

8^)

[Cranbiz]

I paak my caah.

Interesting think, before I moved to FL everyone back in MA knew that I had just returned from a trip to FL (when I was checking on #1 son frequently) because I would drop a y'all or a ma'am in conversation (not on purpose either). Now that I'm here, I don't think I have dropped a y'all in more than a half dozen conversations (I do use ma'am a lot though)