American Dialect Map....

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Kinda interesting...at least to me. I must be bored.

American Dialects : Dialect map of American English
  • I have seen this graphic before, and as someone who has been called on to do many types of dialects in past work, it is a somewhat accurate, and a good general description of the regions. It is a good place to start if you are interested in this area of language, and colloquialisms, and how they come about...before the internet, it was not as easy to research...

    What I would like to see again, is the same regional map layout of the UK...I saw something a long time ago, but do not recall where. If anyone has seen this - it would be nice to see again.
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    • Profile picture of the author DPM70
      Originally Posted by MoneyMagnetMagnate View Post

      I have seen this graphic before, and as someone who has been called on to do many types of dialects in past work, it is a somewhat accurate, and a good general description of the regions. It is a good place to start if you are interested in this area of language, and colloquialisms, and how they come about...before the internet, it was not as easy to research...

      What I would like to see again, is the same regional map layout of the UK...I saw something a long time ago, but do not recall where. If anyone has seen this - it would be nice to see again.
      I know what you mean about the UK version. Could only find poor relatives on Google images. These sort of infographics are great and maybe you should make your own. I noticed on the one the OP posted that it was very general. Surely they could have more fun with more detailed inter-state variations on a much more local scale? Many more punch-ups to be had there.
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      • Originally Posted by DPM70 View Post

        I know what you mean about the UK version. Could only find poor relatives on Google images. These sort of infographics are great and maybe you should make your own. I noticed on the one the OP posted that it was very general. Surely they could have more fun with more detailed inter-state variations on a much more local scale? Many more punch-ups to be had there.
        It would be tougher map, I think...in the UK the proximity is much more dramatic, and has had a lot more time to develop and morph...and not morph.
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    I don't know..... My mother was from boston, and originally had a bostonian accent. She had to laugh at cliff clavins bad attempt at a bostonian accent. American accents are dissappearing! OK, SOME might say they are all becomming midwestern. Over my life, I have seen texas, new york, new jersey, boston, etc... go from having STRONG accents to often having NONE! Chris christie was BORN in new jersey, and doesn't seem to have an accent!

    Steve
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  • It is true, they are disappearing to an extent, due to broadcasting, the regional lines have become blurred, or "americanized" and "anglicized"...

    Many Americans are surprised when they hear actors speak in their "normal' voices, only to discover they are actually English, or Australian...

    Many have come to rely on "broadcaster speak" as a standard like "BBC English"...

    Stephen Colbert, for instance, is from Charleston, SC, but as a boy listened to radio announcers and assimilated their speech...James Earl Jones used it to teach himself to end his stuttering, and if you saw "The King's Speech", I can't imagine how tough it would be, being put in that position...

    That's why I find that character they have on "Big Bang Theory" who speaks with a sort of lisp a little curious (who wrote that, and why?)...it would seem he could have overcome something like that without much problem. (especially since he is supposed to be a scientist) Most just somehow grow out of it..
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Lisps are often looked down on, so some work to get rid of them. They aren't usually tied to intelligence.

    The big bang theory is supposed to be a program mocking stereotypes, and I believe one IS lisping. With a lot of that stuff, I doubt there is any real reality to it.

    Still, lisps and stuttering aren't dialects.

    Steve
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    • Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

      Lisps are often looked down on, so some work to get rid of them. They aren't usually tied to intelligence.

      The big bang theory is supposed to be a program mocking stereotypes, and I believe one IS lisping. With a lot of that stuff, I doubt there is any real reality to it.

      Still, lisps and stuttering aren't dialects.

      Steve
      I thoroughly agree - point taken...stutters and lisps are impediments, and not dialects...
      although some dialects are sometimes construed as impediments...

      I kind of sequed into that unintentionally from the Colbert and Jones example...

      I would not imply these impediments are tied to intelligence, especially given the two examples...only that it seems odd they would write a character into their script that has one...what is the point, if it is not only to poke fun at an impediment?

      (is it just me...or does Chuck Lorre seem fixated on vomit jokes lately for some reason? I mean, what demographic does that appeal to?)

      And those types of impediments are difficult to overcome in many cases, but they also sometimes just seem to somehow "work themselves out" - and as such, are difficult to define as purely a physical, or mental, block.
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  • Profile picture of the author DPM70
    I don't see a problem with writing speech impediments into popular TV (not saying anyone else does, either). It simply reflects reality.

    "That's why I find that character they have on "Big Bang Theory" who speaks with a sort of lisp a little curious (who wrote that, and why?)...it would seem he could have overcome something like that without much problem. (especially since he is supposed to be a scientist) Most just somehow grow out of it.. "

    Why would being a scientist especially help to get you over a speech impediment? What's he supposed to do? Invent a smart-nano filter snake that worms it's way through his neurological speech centres to tap it on the head?
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    • Originally Posted by DPM70 View Post

      I don't see a problem with writing speech impediments into popular TV (not saying anyone else does, either). It simply reflects reality.

      "That's why I find that character they have on "Big Bang Theory" who speaks with a sort of lisp a little curious (who wrote that, and why?)...it would seem he could have overcome something like that without much problem. (especially since he is supposed to be a scientist) Most just somehow grow out of it.. "

      Why would being a scientist especially help to get you over a speech impediment? What's he supposed to do? Invent a smart-nano filter snake that worms it's way through his neurological speech centres to tap it on the head?
      Well, you do have a point - if we back story a character like that, maybe he became a scientist because he was ostracized for his impediment...they could emphasize that aspect, and try to put it in a more positive light. I do notice no one on the show seems to tease him about it, so I have always thought it was kind of quirky, and without a direction...and again intelligence has nothing to do with it other that being a possible obstacle...

      Case in point: I used to work with a female engineer who was gorgeous, and had a "cute little girl" voice , that was rather high...she was always being completely underestimated by people who did not know her because of this, and she often would use this image they had of her to gain the upper hand...to all of our applause. We learned very quickly not to ever underestimate her. :rolleyes:
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      • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
        Hmmm, Dave,

        I'm not so sure I agree with this, at least from my "number" on the map.

        As you know, I'm from Michigan which puts me here -

        Upper Midwestern (9)
        Originally settled by people from New England and New York State who brought those dialects, this area was also influenced by Southerners coming up the Mississippi River as well as the speech patterns of the German and Scandinavian immigrants and the Canadian English dialects from over the border. It's sometimes referred to as a "Midwestern twang." They call jelly doughnuts bismarks
        All I have to say is what the frick is a bismark? :confused: Never heard it before in my life! But I know all about jelly donuts!

        I even used them to describe the attributes of bulging or ruptured discs in a report I wrote for a client on back injuries. Haha!

        But this alone makes me wonder on the validity of the whole thing.

        Terra
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        • Profile picture of the author seasoned
          Originally Posted by MissTerraK View Post

          Hmmm, Dave,

          I'm not so sure I agree with this, at least from my "number" on the map.

          As you know, I'm from Michigan which puts me here -

          All I have to say is what the frick is a bismark? :confused: Never heard it before in my life! But I know all about jelly donuts!

          I even used them to compare to in describing bulging or ruptured discs in a report I wrote for a client on back injuries. Haha!

          But this alone makes me wonder on the validity of the whole thing.

          Terra
          Yeah, tell me about it! I happen to know German and Danish, have listened to music and reports from both countries, and spoken with people in those countries. In michigan, you don't hear people stressing the Us, Changing v or W or adding ch between the s and certain other consonents, etc... You don't hear the odd scandinavian pronounciation which is VERY similar whether it is danish, norwegian, or swedish. I heard the bit about bismark, but that is probably very local. ALSO, michigan is rather close to me. I have DRIVEN there TWICE. It isn't that long a trip to areas just past the border. And I didn't notice any such differences.

          HECK, I didn't hear those differences in WISCONSIN where I met people from Germany! THEY have a LOT of german influence, but it hasn't affected native accents.

          But such discrepancies are COMMON when there is a small sample or some odd thing is noticed. and made to seem like it is bigger than it is.

          Steve
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          • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
            Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

            Yeah, tell me about it! I happen to know German and Danish, have listened to music and reports from both countries, and spoken with people in those countries. In michigan, you don't hear people stressing the Us, Changing v or W or adding ch between the s and certain other consonents, etc... You don't hear the odd scandinavian pronounciation which is VERY similar whether it is danish, norwegian, or swedish. I heard the bit about bismark, but that is probably very local. ALSO, michigan is rather close to me. I have DRIVEN there TWICE. It isn't that long a trip to areas just past the border. And I didn't notice any such differences.

            HECK, I didn't hear those differences in WISCONSIN where I met people from Germany! THEY have a LOT of german influence, but it hasn't affected native accents.

            But such discrepancies are COMMON when there is a small sample or some odd thing is noticed. and made to seem like it is bigger than it is.

            Steve
            That's the truth! I've only heard just a very minute difference in a couple of words from Minnesota. My daughter lives there and I only noticed when she brought it to my attention as my granddaughter was learning to speak. IF she hadn't pointed it out, I wouldn't have noticed it at ALL!

            Another thing that I found funny was the "Midwestern twang" thing. The only twang I've ever noticed is a "Southern twang", lol!

            Makes me wonder where the author of the report is from.

            Terra
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  • I thought that was a Massachusetts saying...

    JFK once said: "Ich bin ein Berliner'' (I Am a 'Jelly Donut')

    (but that was after they already sunk the 'Bismarck')
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by MoneyMagnetMagnate View Post

      I thought that was a Massachusetts saying...

      JFK once said: "Ich bin ein Berliner'' (I Am a 'Jelly Donut')

      (but that was after they already sunk the 'Bismarck')
      Well, That is a joke that was probably related later. JFK Tried to speak German to convey the thought that he was as affected by the events in berlin, and could relate. He SHOULD have said "Ich bin Berliner".

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Andrews
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Dave Patterson View Post

    Kinda interesting...at least to me. I must be bored.

    American Dialects : Dialect map of American English
    Strangely enough we were talking about this at a friends house earlier on this evening Dave. How the States has relatively very few different accents given the size of the country.

    We were comparing it obviously to the UK where local dialects can literally change every few miles. So much so to the extent that some people won't be able to fully understand another British person talking at speed from just 5 miles away. Birmingham / Wolverhampton (Black Country) is one good example of this.

    Of course, there are the main accents or dialects, you'll likely be most familiar with the Cockney accent in London.

    And 2 hours north west of London is the UK's 2nd largest city Birmingham, aforementioned. Here the accent is like something you've never heard before. Very strange indeed. (Sorry Brummies).

    Then 1 hour west of Birmingham you enter Wales, another accent altogether. Go immediately south from the south coast of Wales, no more than 15 miles as the crow flies over the Bristol Channel to north Devon and the accent is completely different again. Head west into Cornwall and it changes yet again.

    Liverpool / Manchester are similarly very different. Newcastle Upon Tyne the same - North Shields and South Shields extremely different from one another.

    A little further north Scotland, another accent again. Glasgow, Aberdeen, St. Petershead areas they even have to use English subtitles on the TV so the rest of the population can fully understand what's being said. It might very well be English but it sounds like double dutch to me. I'm sure they'd say the same about my Westcountry accent.

    Back to London, drive an hour south and you hit the stockbroker belt in Surrey. As different as chalk and cheese comparing their accent to just a few miles away up in London.

    There's literally hundreds if not thousands of different accents here in the UK each with their own local dialect.

    One problem I kept on running into in the States was the pace of my communication. I literally talk at 90mph, some would say closer to a thousand mph. Words literally tripping over themselves as I shorten every syllable down to their most basic form. Everywhere I went nobody could understand a word I said, which I found extremely annoying.

    Got to the point I was having to talk so slowly at times I might as well just have ground to a halt. Time and time again people would just look at me and go, "Huhhh?!" It used to drive bloody mental lol.

    Fascinating subject. I love it. Excellent good timing too given the conversation earlier.

    Top of the day to you Dave.


    Mark Andrews

    PS - Cornish accent (where I live)...

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