What Is It About Southern Accents?

[Placebo]

This guy in my Medieval History class has the heaviest southern accent I've ever heard, and it certainly stands out big time in a class full of us bland talkin' Midwestern city folk. :P

I find it strangely...appealing...:9

[Syrinx]

1. I love cute girls with a southern accent

But it is disappearing. I'm in my thirties, and most people around here that are my age have much less of a southern accent than their parents. I think it's because of TV.

[JohnKleeb]

2. Huh eh?

what about em? They are attractive but I like Canadian myself.

[chicagojoe]

3. Are there any linguists here that can explain

how the different accents around the country evolved?

[ropi]

5. impossible to write about all of them

read American English by Walt Wolfram...that will help if you're interested in it.

[chicagojoe]

6. Thanks. I've always wondered why different regions have

different accents. For example, I'm from Chi-Town, and most people from my neighborhood sounded like the "Super Fans" bit on Saturday Night Live. You know-- "Da Bears".

[barb162]

9. my brother sounds that way but I don't

[chicagojoe]

10. Actually, neither do I, and it's mostly the older generation.

I guess it waters down after a while.
And, of course, the SNL guys were exaggerating it (only a little, though!).

[njdemocrat106]

16. Of course, we New Jerseyans don't have accents.

It's all of YOU who have accents! :evilgrin:

[ZombieNixon]

39. Southern accents actually have their roots in Scotch-Irish

accents. Many southerners are of Anglo-Celtic stock. Some similiarities are still there. For instance, Scottish people often say "ah" (read "I") in the same fashion as Southerners. The Virginia "plantation" accent comes from the Scottish aristocracy or "lairds." It's southern, but decidedly clipped.

By contrast, the high level of Scandinavian and Teutonic influence is very apparent in the flatter midwestern accent. If you listen to Danish or Norwegian radio, you hear many of the same sounds in English with little variation. For example, the "p,t,k" structure is identical and the stress pattern is very similar.

[TalkingDog]

46. Southern Accents vs Appalachian Accents

Appalachian Accents, especially those in the North Carolina and Virgina area have been studied by linguist (I don't know if they are cunning or not) because in the more remote areas they have changed very little since Elizabethan times. They tend to be a little more nasal with a unique cadance, whereas general southern accents are much slower, broader and softer in the vowels.

There is an idea that the soft vowels were influenced by African languages, due to the larger number of Africans who were kidnapped and forced into slavery. Although many people did not own slaves, they did work with them on a much more regular basis than did their Northern neighbors.

The South is also fairly hemogenous in terms of the immigration patterns. A majority of Southern immigrants were English, Irish and Scottish, whereas in Northern regions you have a heavy Slavic and Eastern European influence.

So Appalachian/Elizabethan and African influenced tonalities along with a number of Native Americans who decided to assimilate rather than walk the Trail, helped to create a number of regional Southern accents.

[Boy Interrupted]

4. I'm not real big on them

I was watching the Auburn/VA Tech game early on TV. Terry Bowden was one of the guys calling the game. HEAVY accent. His voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me. Some people have a charming southern accent. His just sounds ignorant.

[Must_B_Free]

7. behaviour is contageous

and southerners caught it from other southerners

[Schema Thing]

8. I usually hate it in men, and love it in women.

Ashley Judd gets it just right.

[American Tragedy]

22. Ashley Judd doesn't sound like she has an accent to me.

Of course, that could be due to the fact that I'm also from Kentucky, and probably speak somewhat like she does.

[barb162]

11. the father south you go, the more I dislike the sound of it.

Now a VA accent is fine and can be almost pleasant to my ear but you get to GA or SC accents and I want to slap them. It also seems the farther south a person is raised, the slower the person speaks. I dated a guy once from the South and I swear he could start a sentence, I could walk out of the room and wouldn't miss anything.

[Behind the Aegis]

13. in the South

You point out that there is a difference in the accents from VA, GA, and SC. However, there are very distinct accents within those states as well. Much of the differences come from location, education level, and contact with other groups. I am from the South, but because I grew up all over, I have a "mutt" accent. Generally, I can tell who is from where when I speak to many Southerners, but there is so much criss-crossing now, accents get blurred, except those from the country...and those Southern accents grate on my ears! So, I think it is not the further South you go, it is the deeper into the woods that will make all the difference in the accent. Just my opinion! :)

[BurtWorm]

15. Very astute observations.

Some rural Southern accents are very charming, though. For instance, I once listened to a fiddle maker from Tennessee describe his craft and it was, fittingly, a very musical accent, something like the way Chet Atkins used to talk but more intense. His *accents* really were intriguingly peculiar: pro-FAHL, for "profile," for example. A well-educated rural Southern accent is a pleasure to listen to (as most intelligent sounding accents are).

But Southern ingnoramuses are about the most ignorant sounding ignoramuses in the world. No offense intended to non-ignorant Southerners. But ingorant Southerners, take all the offense you want because it is intended.

[Phentex]

18. We call that genteel or

refined and it's a pleasure to listen to.

The opposite is hick. :P

But there are plenty of in-between accents too.

[Atlas Mugged]

20. I'm from Virginia

I used to have an accent, but it's totally diluted by having gone to college in Seattle and having many British friends. Now I have a brogue.

Now, the reason I'm responding to your post, in particular, is because my step-father was from a small, rural town in the Tidewater area of Virginia. The towns people still have heavily British accents as a result of years of isolation. They can all trace their ancestry to settlers from before the Revolution and their cemetaries are a spellbinding.

[VaYallaDawg]

27. Richmonder here.

But you're totally correct about the interesting rural accents in Eastern VA - especially the "watermen" from Gloucester (that accent/patois is completely unique) and the Tangier folks. Also some interesting speech patterns from the older people on NC outer banks.

Richmond area accents are so regionalized that in some cases you can almost tell what neighborhood the speaker hails from.

[BurtWorm]

28. There are fishing islands in Maryland like that, too.

I remember hearing their accents on The Story of English and being blown away by how British they sound. They're from Devonshire originally. People still sound like that in the west of England.

[Behind the Aegis]

29. similar in Charleston

There are few places in the Low Country of SC, that are somewhat isolated. The influence of Gullah and British English has created an unusual accent, bordering on a pidgin language. It is very difficult to understand; of course, so is Gullah! However, it is very cool to hear!

[Dzimbowicz]

32. I grew up in the low country of SC

So my question to you is: How do you know about the dialects and linguistics of coastal SC?

Your profile states that you are from Oklahoma.

I'm just curious.

:hi:

[Behind the Aegis]

35. Howdy

I went to the University of South Carolina and received two degrees from there (I lived in Columbia for 7 years). I also spent time in Charleston shopping, playing, etc. I also studied linguistics at USC, and have a cognate in that subject. I have only been in Oklahoma for five years and am DESPERATELY trying to escape! I have two interviews coming up this month, both on the East coast!

The interesting thing about coastal Carolina, is that the accent will change only a few miles away. There are quite a few distinct accents in that area.

I also speak a number of languages (not so fluent after all these years). I see from another post, you are also a polyglot...very cool!

[Dzimbowicz]

37. Well howdy there fellow Gamecock!

I have several degrees from there as well (two BAs, an MA and a PhD).

I currently teach in York County and I am desperately trying to escape. I have applied for a professorial position at Francis Marion University in Florence, but as yet know nothing.

Just out of curiosity, have you ever met a Brass-ankle? They are a group of people in Colleton County, and vicinity, who have an interesting history. Basically, they are a mix of Native Americans and escaped slaves who lived deep in the swamps of the region.


I consider Columbia my home, but spent my childhood years in Colleton County.

On Edit: I encountered a weird expression here in the upstate, 'a hose pipe'. I had no idea of what the person was refering, but I found out that it was a spigot.

[Behind the Aegis]

40. Go cocks! I just love saying that! heehee

I am not certain I have met a Brass-ankle. I did encounter many native speakers of Gullah. And, I knew some people that grew up in between Charleston and Savannah....that makes for an interesting accent! HAHA...I forgot about "hose pipe!" I heard that from a resident of mine when I was a RA at USC! There were a few other words, I just can't recall them now.

Good luck on the FMU job. I don't think I know anyone there, but if I find out I do, I will jet you a PM! :)

[Dzimbowicz]

41. You know about the bumper stickers from USC, right?

Here was one I saw the other day from the USC alumni association:

"Cock Donor" with an image of Cocky waving. LOL!!

Back in 1984 when the Lamecocks had a surprisingly good football team, they defeated So. Cal. and here was one they came up with:
"Those Trojans never could hold our Cocks!"

For those of you who may not understand 'South Carolinese', this is not considered profane. However, we do have loads of fun with the name of our mascot. :)

I hope this post is not deleted and gets me tombstoned!

[Behind the Aegis]

43. Still have contacts there

My friend told me all about the controversy and how it is now "Gamecocks", no more "Cocks." That just made me giggle. They had a good football team the first year I was there, 1987. After that, they sunk like lead!

I am gay, so imagine my delight when I first heard about "Cockfest!" LOL! That always went over well with our group! And, you are right, it is fun to turn a phrase with our mascot!!!

[Dzimbowicz]

45. The attempt to stifle that didn't work...

there are hats, bumper stickers and such which still sport: 'COCKS' or 'Go Cocks!', etc.

I teach in an uptight, conservative community and the dress code for my school is quite stringent, but these shirts and hats are accepted.

I reside in Rock Hill (pronounced Rok He-yull) which is across the river from where I teach, Ft. Mill (Fort Mee-yull). RH is Gamecock country, but FM is Clemson country, so I'm not that much out of my element in one way, but in another I am.

I admire people who are open and honest about themselves, so more power to you! :thumbsup: I must be rather discreet in my lifestyle here because I am Agnostic.

[OhioBlue]

44. I love the Charleston accent n/t

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

30. Or the higher in the mountians, people with Appalacian accents talk

deep south but speak pretty fast..as a Yank, I realize what they said a minute after they finish their sentences

[Behind the Aegis]

31. very hard to understand, even for other Southerners

I have a difficult time understanding folks from that area as well. Sometimes, it is not so much the accent as it is the vocabulary. They use words or phrases I am not familiar with. Usually the words are variations of other words, but have changed pronunciation over the years. It is very interesting if you are a language freak, like me! :)

[barb162]

33. "deeper into the woods" ... maybe you're right on this

I remember this one time several years ago a southerner asking for directions and I had to ask three times what he said. He said somehting like "trine" for "train" just for starters. I didn't even realize he was asking for directions as I basically couldn't understand anything he said.

[Behind the Aegis]

36. say what?!

Heehee..just a little (and bad) joke. I have noticed this phenomena here in Oklahoma too! The more rural the area, the more closely you need to listen. Of course, they think my accent (fairly Southern) is "high faluting" talk...LOL! I always pray I will never break down (car) in a rural area. I know....I am bad.

[Dzimbowicz]

25. I understand what you mean, to a point...

I am a native South Carolinian and do not have much of an accent, or so I'm told; maybe that is because I can speak three languages (German, Polish and Spanish).

I know people who can put two syllables into one letter; these are the people who need to be corrected, not slapped. There are also many different dialects in our small state.

If you are going to wish slaps upon others, be prepared to have them wished upon you in return.

:spank:

[flygal]

12. Love the southern gentleman accent from Louisiana

like the lawyer in My Cousin Vinny - smooooooth ;)

[PittPoliSci]

14. or Tom Hanks in the Ladykillers

if you haven't seen that movie, i recommend it also.

[tjwmason]

19. I love the original

the Ealing Studios one, it's just wonderful. I've avoided the new one as I tend to dislike American re-makes of British classics. My sister has seen it, and claims that if one does not think of it as 'The Lady Killers' known and loved for decades, then it is a good film.

[Total Mass Retain]

49. Cajun accents are interesting

Both of brothers-in-law(but not my husband,somehow,maybe because he's the only who ever left the area or went to college)had that kind of accent,where they say "tree" for "three",things like that. The family isn't from Louisiana,but from a Gulf Coast community in Mississippi,Point Cadet,where everyone has this weird mix of the Cajun accent and the French/Yugoslav accent and phrases of their ancestry(the older people anyway,it's not pronounced in the younger people too much,unless they're from one of the old shrimping families and never left the family business or the area).

[tjwmason]

17. They're gorgeous

Give me a man with a southern accent and I'll love him for ever.

That said, I have odd taste in accents, and love the sound of a proper Essex-boy (an English accent from east of London); yet I speak pretty much R.P. myself.

[dbt]

21. The variation among Southern accents has a parallel Over There.

For instance, you can just about tell what county in Ireland that someone is from by the accent they have. Similar patterns exist in England and (betcha) in Scotland.

IMO, the abundance of Scots-Irish settlement in the South is what has given us so many different accents. My favorite one comes from the interior of North Carolina. The "long O" vowel sound as spoken by people of this region is unique among all the Southern accents.

And, like every damn thing about the South, the accent is a blessing and a curse!

Y'all.

:smoke:
dbt
Friendship, Arkansas
Population 206 (not counting dogs)

[ZoCrowes]

23. I don't think I have one

until I leave the south and people start pointing it out to me. I'm from KY and the difference between the accents of people in the northern part of the state and the southern part is insane.

[yellowdogintexas]

47. Fellow Kentuckian and that is so true. LOL we used to think

folks from Louisville talked like northerners!

I am from the Pennyrile, south of Bowling Green, and east of Hopkinsville ..just inside the state line. The accent in that area is very different from Bluegrass, Knobs, or Ohio Valley.

And the Eastern Kentuckians are in a class by themselves.

[TXlib]

24. Jeff Foxworthy

once commented, "You Northerners, y'all think we're goobers because of the way we talk!"

[Modem Butterfly]

26. I dislike Southerrn Accents

They're often quite nasal, with accentuated aspirations (like putting the emphasis on the h in "white"). I think they're more often than not simply unattractive.

[redqueen]

34. I dunno

but it's nice to hear that it's appealing. After a few drinks I tend to start drawling a bit. I don't notice but others have pointed it out.

Actually now that I think about it, people mention it at work when I'm not drinking, so maybe I have more of an accent than I think.

[eoberhauser]

38. You're not alone!

I am so attracted to a southern accent.

Erin

[SarahB]

42. Not that kind of southern.

Other kinds. :7

[fluffernutter]

48. i love accents, they can be very sexy.

:thumbsup: