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rob smith Send message Joined: 7 Mar 03 Posts: 22228 Credit: 416,307,556 RAC: 380 |
As some of you may recall, despite my name etc. English is not my first language, that being Scots. The other day at work we had a phone conference, one of the other parties involved is from just outside Glasgow, and a Scot's speaker who has to use English to be understood. After a few minutes there were only the two of us left in the discussion, the rest of the participants were silent, trying to work out what was going on - they caught the few technical words and phrases, but the rest was an alien language. Neither of us had realised that we had drifted into our native tongue, much to the confusion of the rest of the group, some of whom were trying to take notes. I guess the forthcoming meeting in Italy could be highly entertaining - we'll be able to talk behind the rest of the group's backs in the sure knowledge that nobody else will understand a word.... Bob Smith Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society) Somewhere in the (un)known Universe? |
janneseti Send message Joined: 14 Oct 09 Posts: 14106 Credit: 655,366 RAC: 0 |
As some of you may recall, despite my name etc. English is not my first language, that being Scots. It's so in many other countries. In my country we have many dialects, and some of them when they are speeking freely, then I need subtitles:) |
Jim Martin Send message Joined: 21 Jun 03 Posts: 2475 Credit: 646,848 RAC: 0 |
When my family was younger, we used to vacation in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. In the local fish/bait store, the locals would talk to their customers in regular English. But, when they conversed amongst themselves, they often used their own "language"/dialect. I couldn't understand a word. Later folks, from North Carolina, told me the name of that dialect (forgotten, to me). Although they were from the central part of the state, they could still make out most of what was said. This is the only occasion to come up against an English/American dialect that I couldn't understand. |
celttooth Send message Joined: 21 Nov 99 Posts: 26503 Credit: 28,583,098 RAC: 0 |
Were they "Hoi Toiders?" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_tider This is a flash video: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/multimedia/10158 |
Jim Martin Send message Joined: 21 Jun 03 Posts: 2475 Credit: 646,848 RAC: 0 |
They would, Celt. Good Google-sleuthing. As a follow-up, some folks I've met in Vermont have North Carolina accents, yet have never been outside the state. An example of convergent evolution, I'd guess. Have you ever been down there? As a follow-up, we stayed in a town, called Avon (south of the Federal Conservation area on the Outer Banks. We visited Ocracoke, at the southern end, and were treated to a talk about the pirates who frequented the area. According to the lecturer, New England ships were not treated very well, because they usually fought the pirates, rather than just give them their goods. |
celttooth Send message Joined: 21 Nov 99 Posts: 26503 Credit: 28,583,098 RAC: 0 |
Years ago I got to view a documentary called "The Story of English." The program was presented by a fellow Nova Scotian named Robert MacNeil. In the documentary there was a section about the kinds of English spoken on the eastern seaboard of North America, and that is where I heard about that kind of English. |
James Sotherden Send message Joined: 16 May 99 Posts: 10436 Credit: 110,373,059 RAC: 54 |
Even English isnt English. When I visited my freind in London in 2002. His wife was Cockney. If she talked slow we didnt have a problem understanding her( most times) And accents can be learned. I spent two years living on Cape Cod while in the Air Force. I picked up a New england twang. Then living in Florida for 3 year and South Carolina for a year. I aguired a southern accent. When I was discharged and moved back to NY State. I was asked if I was from the south. Even in the states some dialects take some time to understand. [/quote] Old James |
Gordon Lowe Send message Joined: 5 Nov 00 Posts: 12094 Credit: 6,317,865 RAC: 0 |
Even English isnt English. When I visited my freind in London in 2002. His wife was Cockney. If she talked slow we didnt have a problem understanding her( most times) Working in a hotel, I come in contact with people from all over, but generally I've found that those from bigger cities(especially Los Angeles) talk louder and faster. The mind is a weird and mysterious place |
Jim Martin Send message Joined: 21 Jun 03 Posts: 2475 Credit: 646,848 RAC: 0 |
The part of the Google info. that surprised me, was that there were some connections to Elizabethan English. In New England, there is a rich variety of accents, and by listening to most people talking, I can tell if they are from Providence (R.I.), Pawtucket (R.I.), and various parts of Boston (Somerville, South Boston, etc.). A lot of it is spoken by the "blue-collar" citizens, and not by those from "finishing" schools, or from the wealthier parts of Boston/suburban towns. (This is a simplified generalization, I admit.) A separate issue: The accents from the USA's Mid-West, and South, which I won't touch, here (too large). I have known a number of Canadians, when living in North Dakota; especially, in Grand Forks (Univ. of N. Dak.). But, that didn't seem an adequate sample for me on whether you Canucks are as diversified, language-wise. Any comments, Celt? What's amazing, is that this fragmentation/regional evolution of accents/dialects seems to continue, even in the presence of modern communication; e.g., TV, I-Phones, etc. |
The Simonator Send message Joined: 18 Nov 04 Posts: 5700 Credit: 3,855,702 RAC: 50 |
I love cunning linguistics! In my early teens i had elocution lessons to get over a lisp and a labialised R (think Jonathan Ross). In the process my native Lancashire accent largely disappeared, though it does occasionally re-emerge at times of indignation or under the influence of alcohol. Upon going to a prestigious university in the south, my 'corrected' accent probably helped me to fit in among the public-school types who made up much of the student body. My sister, who was born and educated in Yorkshire since by that time my parents had crossed the Pennines, still has a fairly strong Yorkshire accent, but the only thing she's really found struggling to understand her is Siri on her iPhone. Life on earth is the global equivalent of not storing things in the fridge. |
Bill Walker Send message Joined: 4 Sep 99 Posts: 3868 Credit: 2,697,267 RAC: 0 |
Canada used to have some regional dialects and accents, but network radio and TV are slowly eliminating those. I see a similar thing happening in the US. For years I worked for a multi-national that had a large plant in Texas, and visited it regularly. Some of the older guys on the shop floor had a classic Western movie Texas twang, all the younger guys in the front office sounded like a network TV newscast. Some pockets still exist here in Canada, especially on the east coast. Lard t'underin Jaasus, dey talk funny eh. |
rob smith Send message Joined: 7 Mar 03 Posts: 22228 Credit: 416,307,556 RAC: 380 |
Scots is a bit more than just a dialect of English, in that many of the French and Southern European words in English don't exist. Instead there are many more Germanic and Nordic words. What really confused and amazed the others on the call was the ease with which the two of us slipped from English into Scots and back again. Its going to be entertaining in Italy as I suspect the same will happen there (especially when the two of us are crawling all over the train we are going to inspect, probably just with an Italian "guide" to keep an eye on us - he should be very confused by the end of the day (or maybe even earlier). Bob Smith Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society) Somewhere in the (un)known Universe? |
janneseti Send message Joined: 14 Oct 09 Posts: 14106 Credit: 655,366 RAC: 0 |
Scots is a bit more than just a dialect of English, in that many of the French and Southern European words in English don't exist. Instead there are many more Germanic and Nordic words. And that are many more Scot dialects:) Orkney and Shetland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norn_language |
David S Send message Joined: 4 Oct 99 Posts: 18352 Credit: 27,761,924 RAC: 12 |
The south side of Chicago has its own peculiar accent (think of the Chicago Bears Superfans from Saturday Night Live) which mainly doesn't even extend to the rest of the city, let alone the while Midwest. (This is only among white people; blacks have their own dialect that I have trouble following.) David Sitting on my butt while others boldly go, Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri. |
janneseti Send message Joined: 14 Oct 09 Posts: 14106 Credit: 655,366 RAC: 0 |
The south side of Chicago has its own peculiar accent (think of the Chicago Bears Superfans from Saturday Night Live) which mainly doesn't even extend to the rest of the city, let alone the while Midwest. (This is only among white people; blacks have their own dialect that I have trouble following.) Da Bears:) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIXYAXwvC44 |
Bill Walker Send message Joined: 4 Sep 99 Posts: 3868 Credit: 2,697,267 RAC: 0 |
More people whats talks funny, eh? It's an ad, but it is fairly true to life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScgAgeIfTlg |
janneseti Send message Joined: 14 Oct 09 Posts: 14106 Credit: 655,366 RAC: 0 |
More people whats talks funny, eh? It's an ad, but it is fairly true to life. LOL. I understood this "I have to go and buy some brewski before the game" In Scandinavia it's the same. If I say in "Stockholmian" this: "Tjena bruttan, kan du hoja ner till tjorren och tjacka taggar". Transleted "Tjena bruttan, can you hoja down to the tjorren and tjacka taggar". Most Swedes do not understand this only the words "can, you, down, to, the and and":) What it means is "Hi girl, can you bike to the kiosk and buy some cigarettes" |
zoom3+1=4 Send message Joined: 30 Nov 03 Posts: 65780 Credit: 55,293,173 RAC: 49 |
Most people that are from Los Angeles are supposedly descended from Midwesterners, so they sound Midwestern, except maybe for those from 'the Valley', I grew up in Los Angeles County for the most part and My family for a while lived in the midwest, before moving West, even though We're descended from those who spoke French. The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's |
janneseti Send message Joined: 14 Oct 09 Posts: 14106 Credit: 655,366 RAC: 0 |
Most people that are from Los Angeles are supposedly descended from Midwesterners, so they sound Midwestern, except maybe for those from 'the Valley', I grew up in Los Angeles County for the most part and My family for a while lived in the midwest, before moving West, even though We're descended from those who spoke French. ► Valley Girl Lyrics Valley Girl She's a Valley Girl Valley Girl She's a Valley Girl Okay, fine Fer sure, fer sure She's a Valley Girl In a clothing store Okay, fine... Fer sure, fer sure She's a Valley Girl In a clothing store Like, OH MY GOD! (Valley Girl) Like-TOTALLY (Valley Girl) Enchino is like SO BITCHEN (Valley Girl) There's like the Galleria (Valley Girl) And like all these like really great shoe stores I love going into like clothing stores and stuff I like buy the neatest mini-skirts and stufl It's like so BITCHEN 'cause like everybody's like Super-super nice... It's like so BITCHEN.., On Ventura, there she goes She just bought some bitchen clothes Tosses her head 'n flips her hair She got a whole bunch of nothin' in there Anyway, he goes are you into S and M? I go, oh RIGHT... Could you like just picture me in like a LEATHER TEDDY Yeah right, HURT ME. HURT ME... I'm sure! NO WAY' He was like freaking me out... He called me a BEASTIE... That's 'cause like he was totally BLITZED He goes like BAG YOUR FACE' I'm sure! Valley Girl She's a Valley Girl Valley Girl She's a Valley Girl Okay. fine... Fer sure, fer sure She's a Valley Girl So sweet 'n pure Okay, fine... Fer sure, fer sure She's a Valley Girl So sweet'n pure It's really sad (Valley Girl) Like my English teacher He's like... (Valley Girl) He's like Mr. BU-FU (Valley Girl) We're talking Lord God King BU-FU (Valley Girl) I am SO SURE He's like so GROSS He like sits there and like plays with all his rings And he like flirts with all the guys in the class It's like totally disgusting I'm like so sure It's like BARF ME OUT... Gag me with a spoon! Last idea to cross her mind Had something to do with where to find A pair of jeans to fit her butt And where to get her toenails cut So like I go into this like salon place, why'know And I wanted like to get my toenails done And the lady like goes., oh my God, your toenails Are like so GRODY It was like really embarrassing She's like OH MY GOD, like BAG THOSE TOENAILS I'm like sure... She goes, uh, I don't know if I can handle this, why'know. I was like really embarassed... Valley Girl She's a Valley Girl Valley Girl She's a Valley Girl Okay, fine Fer sure, fer sure She's a Valley Girl And there is no cure Okay, fine Fer sure, fer sure She's a Valley Girl And there is no cure Like my mother is like a total space cadet (Valley Girl) She like makes me do the dishes and (Valley Girl) CLEAN the cat box (Valley Girl) I am sure That's like GROSS (Valley Girl) BARF OUT' (Valley Girl) OH MY GOD (Valley Girl Hi! Uh-huh... (Valley Girl) My name? My name is Ondrya Wolfson (Valley Girl) Uh-huh That's right, Ondrya (Valley Girl) Uh-huh . I know (Valley Girl) It's like ... I do not talk funny ... I'm sure (Valley Girl) Whatsa matter with the way I talk? (Valley Girl) I am a VAL, I know But I live in like in a really good part of Encino so it's okay (Valley Girl) So like, I don't know I'm like freaking out totally Oh my God! Hi - I have to go to the orthodontist I'm getting my braces off, why'know But I have to wear a retainer That's going to be really like a total bummer I'm freaking out I'm SURE Like those things that like stick in your mouth They're so gross .. You like get saliva all over them But like, I don't know, it's going to be cool, ó know So you can see my smile It'll be like really cool Except my like my teeth are like too small But NO BIGGIE. . It's so AWESOME It's like TUBULAR, why'know Well, I'm not like really ugly or anything It's just like I don't know You know me, I'm like into like the clean stuff Like PAC-MAN and like, I don't know Like my mother like makes me do the dishes It's like so GROSS... Like all the stuff like sticks to the plates And its like, it's like somebody e/ses food, why'know It's like GRODY... GRODY TO THE MAX I'm sure It's like really nauseating Like BARF OUT GAG ME WITH A SPOON GROSS I am SURE TOTALLY . |
zoom3+1=4 Send message Joined: 30 Nov 03 Posts: 65780 Credit: 55,293,173 RAC: 49 |
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