Accents

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Cybren
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Accents

Postby Cybren » 21 May 2009, 22:58

I was watching some videos on teh intarweb. I knew from the video that they were from (or at least in) victoria and for a moment the person sounded almost exactly (to my ears anyway) like Matt.

Which got me thinking? Is Victoria/BC noted as having its own regional accent?

As a more general: do you think you have an accent? Are you as annoyed as I am when "region neutral" diction news anchors simply pronounce everything wrong equally?
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Lord Chrusher
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Re: Accents

Postby Lord Chrusher » 21 May 2009, 23:11

I do not think we have much of an accent but then I live in Victoria so it is normal. Supposedly Canadians have a relatively mild accent and the west coast one is less distinctive than that of eastern Canada.
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wedrinkritalin
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Re: Accents

Postby wedrinkritalin » 21 May 2009, 23:12

Canadian accent stereotype has always confused me as no canadians i've ever seen talk like that
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Joshua
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Re: Accents

Postby Joshua » 21 May 2009, 23:16

I have been told, or rather over heard my mom, talking to someone about me, "He don't talk like us". So I wouldn't know if I have an accent.
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Dave-O_Boy
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Re: Accents

Postby Dave-O_Boy » 21 May 2009, 23:18

The only real difference I noticed with the general western Canadian accent and how we speak over hear in the great NYC area is the way they say "Again."

But at least they don't pronouce "Artistic" as "Autistic" like people with heavy Long Island accents.
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Cybren
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Re: Accents

Postby Cybren » 21 May 2009, 23:23

I've never heard anyone ever say "autistic" meaning artistic

Now, there's the "lon guy land" thing.
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Dave-O_Boy
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Re: Accents

Postby Dave-O_Boy » 21 May 2009, 23:28

Oh there's that too.

Since I'm originally from the Holy Mother Land of New Jersey, I refer to Brooklyn and Queens as "Long Island" instead of "New York City" (which usually is only referring to Manhattan)

Another funny thing is that apparently some Long Islanders don't think that Dog and Log rhyme. They pronounce them as "Daweg" and "Lahg" (almost like a Bostonian.)
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Re: Accents

Postby Cybren » 21 May 2009, 23:37

I do that. That's correct. What would you say, "lawg"?
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I would really suggest against telling someone from Queens or Brooklyn they live on Long Island. For your own personal safety.
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Genghis Ares
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Re: Accents

Postby Genghis Ares » 22 May 2009, 00:03

I used to live in Washington state and I find LRR's accents to be close to my own, with some obvious differences in certain words, like "Again".

Although I have now been in North Texas for about three years now, and I don't know if I have adopted a different accent now. Its hard to gauge that sort of thing when it slowly happens.
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Tapir12
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Re: Accents

Postby Tapir12 » 22 May 2009, 00:21

One of my friends who studied linguistics once told me that Canada was noted for being the largest area that has a common language (excusing Quebec) that does not have different accents. You can't tell where a Canadian is from, unless maybe they have a french accent, and even then you can't be sure (as people in other provinces also speak french).

The only exception is perhaps the "newfie" accent. I have met some people from Newfoundland and Labrador that did sound a little different, and some that did not, so it's not a standard.

I think for Canadians, the idea that you can tell what city someone is from just by the way theu speak very strange. My Dad is originally British and when he meets someone from there he can STILL tell me if they were from London, or Liverpool or whatever.

In other big countries (eg Brazil) there is a lot more variation than in Canada. Why? Not really sure.

There are, however, some slight vocabulary differences across the country.
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Re: Accents

Postby Evil Jim » 22 May 2009, 00:43

More nations & provinces need to have websites like this one. It's an extensive listing of audio clips showing how to properly pronounce the names of most of the cities, counties, state agencies, legislators & other names of significant people & places in Wisconsin. Because honestly, how else are we going to learn to pronounce the name of Madison Mayor, Dave Cieslewicz?
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Re: Accents

Postby tak197 » 22 May 2009, 01:02

It's too late for me right now, but I graduated with a degree in communication disorders and part of it was studying phonetics and linguistics. I'll blow your minds in the morning.
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Re: Accents

Postby Intellectually funky » 22 May 2009, 06:06

Well I'm originally from Texas and I don't have an accent, I noticed that after I moved... it was odd. But one of my best friends is Canadian and he at times falls for the stereotype when I catch him saying "Ehh?" or "aboot" instead of about.
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Re: Accents

Postby WobblyTable » 22 May 2009, 06:30

I've been told I have the Grand Rapids slur, which is probably true considering that that's where I grew up. For those unfamiliar with it, think of something like Pikey from Snatch, but with the nasal Midwestern U.S. accent (i.e. "milk" is pronounced "melk", "pillow" is "pellow", etc.) instead of a British/Irish accent and pronunciation. Thus, it has all the incomprehensibility, but none of the attractiveness!
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Re: Accents

Postby Jillers » 22 May 2009, 06:32

There's not a day I'm not thankful I don't have a Staten Island accent. How I managed that is anyone's guess. But I am good at picking upon people's accents for use at a later date (often to mock them).
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Re: Accents

Postby Metcarfre » 22 May 2009, 07:26

Tapir12 wrote:One of my friends who studied linguistics once told me that Canada was noted for being the largest area that has a common language (excusing Quebec) that does not have different accents...

The only exception is perhaps the "newfie" accent...


What about the Cape Breton accent? Dear God, is it intense.

I'm sure tak will blow our minds later, but one discussion I heard indicated that many of the distinctive North American accents, such as Southern, are actually closely related to those who originally settled the land. So the Southern accent is actually a mid-eighteenth century British accent.

Conversely, western Canada (Saskatchewan to B.C.) was all settled in roughly the same generation, and so we possess a similar accent. The east coast (Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., and New Brunswick) were all settled earlier by more distinctive and cohesive cultures (i.e. the Acadians). This lends itself tomore regional accents.

But then, I'm no linguist, so I'll wait here for tak to blow our minds, man.

Edit; oh yeah; what's weird about how we say 'again'? Can anyone describe it? Obviously it seems normal to me.
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Re: Accents

Postby Alja-Markir » 22 May 2009, 08:43

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Re: Accents

Postby Hakaryu » 22 May 2009, 08:46

Since port huron is right acrossed from Sarnia, we have alot of canadian blood in us and culture, so our mannerisms are often the same. Lotta eh's and such.
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Zed Alpha
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Re: Accents

Postby Zed Alpha » 22 May 2009, 08:48

I'm from Florida, in the South. Don't have much of a Southern accent unless I'm really, really angry or very, very tired. Usually in this state, the further north you go, the more pronounced the accents get.
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Evisr
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Re: Accents

Postby Evisr » 22 May 2009, 08:53

According to a friend I know in Australia that if there is a Canadian in her country, its really easy to tell from their accent. She says that the accent has just an awesome bold sound to it. Being a Canadian myself.. I can never tell at all what a Canadian accent is. It is probably the same with others.

Oh and apparently all Australians girls love the accent too. So if you ever want to get laid, now you know where to go!
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Re: Accents

Postby Alja-Markir » 22 May 2009, 08:56

Odd. Most Americans would say that Australians have a bold accent, and I know plenty of women who love the male Australian accent. Furthermore, I also know plenty of guys who find the female Australian accent pleasing as well.

The same can be said of British. Except the bold bit.

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Re: Accents

Postby TheRocket » 22 May 2009, 09:03

InteFunk - I don't know why your friend would say "aboot" I have never ever ever heard anyone say it without it being a joke.


I think the two distinct accents in Canada are Newfie and Quebecios. But since the Canadian french count for nothing, we will stick to Newfie.
Wraith thinks it is the funniest thing when I talk to him in a newfie accent. I have many friends and my family is from there, so I picked up on it, bye.
I wouldn't say BC nessicarily has an accent - unless you count engrish. ;)

I remember when I was younger and doing theatre... it came to the point where if you got me mad and yelling, it would be in a thick brooklyn accent. HA! Without even noticing, I had impressed myself. My friends and I would talk to eachother all the time in a Brooklyn accent, so I guess it had filtered it's way into my subconciousness.

Wraith has told me I say a few words funny. I say "pop" instead of "soda" Which makes him really pissy like a whiny school girl (yeah, if you're reading this, kiss my ass!) Bcause apparently in the states "pop" is a hick redneck term. I say Paasta, instead of pawsta. I say herb instead of eeeeerb.

But living in Virginia, with a Californian, is hilarious. Neither of us have the thick country drawl.
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Re: Accents

Postby iamafish » 22 May 2009, 09:05

it always amazes me how regional our British accents can be given how small our country it. i dont really know what my accent is given that my mum was from Wales (but doesn't really have a welsh accent) my dad was a Londoner (not a cockney though, he's far too middle class) i grew up in Worcestershire and go to school in birmingham, so i guess i'm just a weird hodge-podge of a load of random stuff...
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TheRocket
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Re: Accents

Postby TheRocket » 22 May 2009, 09:05

Also, I think we have a distinct ARRRR sound. With thing like bar and car. Or maybe that's just me and the newfies.
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Chemistring
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Re: Accents

Postby Chemistring » 22 May 2009, 09:44

I'd say that the west coast and Toronto accents are closest to a neutral pronunciation in Canada, with the Toronto/central Ontario accent sounding more like the American neutral. The usual identifier is pronouncing Toronto as "Trawnna", which is where the about/aboot confusion comes in. The US standard seems to be the pronunciation of words like sorry and about as "sawry" and "abowt", which makes the rounder Canadian vowels sound like "sooory" and "aboot".

Manitoba and Saskatchewan have a milder accent in the cities, but most rural people (in the south, anyways) have an accent derived from the ukrainian, german, dutch settlers (lots of ukrainian mennonites settled in MB). Think lots of long O sounds, combined with flat A sounds. It's really distinctive when strong, and probably covers the stereotypical Canadian farmer accent.

From the people I've met and worked with, anyplace east of Quebec (ie, NB, NS, and NL) have the ARRRR sound in words like car, bar, star. It's usually a dead giveaway even if there is no other noticeable accent.

Alberta could be considered a combination of BC/SK accents, but is basically a new Atlantic province at this point, even if they don't want to believe it.

I'm some hideous combination of West Coast neutral with prairie overtones, plus specific East Coast accent creep from several coworkers (I've picked up the ARRR and hard A in certain words).

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