English Versus Itself.

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

The end of my last post got me thinking about English dialects. Particularly our coastal accent which apparently bugs the shit out of everyone else in America? 

I learned it's annoying that I "hold the floor" in declarative statements and shift vowels to the front of my mouth. I didn't always do that..

Anyway... I eventually found this video which I adore now. 




My only contention to our representative from North Carolina is, We don't call them "ABC Stores," thats just you and 16 remaining temperance states, the rest of us call them "liquor stores."

Fun video otherwise. 

It left me wanting one with every major version of english.  I want to see the battle of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, USA, Canada, Austrailia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Singapore. 

Enjoy!

[ArMaP]

Is language in the US mostly the same everywhere? In other countries the existence of local variations is normal.

Several years ago on ATS there was a person that was able to find with good precision from where someone was because of their accent.

Even in small countries like Portugal we have differences in accent and language, besides really different dialects and even a different language.

Edited to add: do they speak English natively in Singapore?

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

Language is mostly the same. There's different colloquialisms and dialects, but the language is mutually intelligible.

Some can be harder to understand. But mostly its just altered speech patterns and vowel shifts, though a few are closer to early modern English. (18th and 19th century)   

The hardest dialects to understand are Louisiana Cajun English, Gullah, Appalachian English, and Outer Banks English. With OBX English being an example of a dialect closer to revolutionary times. 

Of course, California English, with labored vowel shifts, cackling speech patterns, and upspeak is often called the most annoying to every other dialect in the country.

Singapore has 4 official languages: English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil. With English being primary.

[ANNEE]

Is language in the US mostly the same everywhere? In other countries the existence of local variations is normal.

Several years ago on ATS there was a person that was able to find with good precision from where someone was because of their accent.

Even in small countries like Portugal we have differences in accent and language, besides really different dialects and even a different language.

Edited to add: do they speak English natively in Singapore?

There are differences in the US.  Different accents - different words - from different locations and cultures.

If someone says "warsh" instead of wash -- they're probably from Ohio (or close by)

[argentus]

I have lived all around the U.S. and more than a few places outside of it.    The West Coast dialect is as distinctive as the East Coast dialect as the Southern dialect as the Intermountain dialect.   Where I live in the Caribbean, we have a melting pot of English:    I can pick out British, Irish, Jamaican, Scottish, Austrailian, South African.   I'm a little fuzzy on the difference in Welsh and Kiwis.   Within each and EVERY of those zones, people from there can determine where someone is from by their distinct nuances.   Language is wonderful.   It is so rich with meaning.   

Last week a very rude man came into the store while I was checking out.   He walked up to the clerk and demanded service and she instructed him to get in line (he wanted to top up his phone).   He left.   I uttered a vile insult in Spanish.   The clerk chuckled and said, "you might not know, but that's not an insult in Honduran, or Argentine Spanish, only in Mexican Spanish.   It had never occurred to me that there was a difference in actual usage of words between these nations.   She then proceeded to instruct me in the usage of vile insults in Honduran Spanish.   I am now educated.   Always good to learn.

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

Watching more of these videos from linguists I just learned that California and Caliphate are very related words. 

It was named by Spanish explorers from a spanish story for a mythical island of beautiful women ruled by a powerful warrior Queen named Califre of Califia, which itself was influenced by the Umayyad caliphate reigning over spain, and the word "Khalifa," meaning "Successor to the prophet Mohammed"

So there you go...  California has etymology that means. "Land of the successor of the prophet muhammed," but was more directly named for all female island of Amazon women.  Make of that what you will. 

And then I learned "Oklahoma" is actually just the Choctaw words "okla" and "humma" which means "people" and "red" respectively.  

So Oklahoma is named "Red People."   

I guess theres only outrage and renaming efforts when things are offensive in English. 

Still "Oklahoma City, Oklahoma" means "Red People City, Red People" in Choctaw.

And Mississippi and Ohio both mean "Big River" in their local native tongues, which means those respective rivers each translate as  "Big River River."

[SteamyAmerican]

There are differences in tone and vocabulary to be sure.

Personally I think the E. Tennessee/ W. North Carolina accent is particularly hot. But yeah there are differences even insofar as the span of Appalachia.

i think the internet has helped to soften those though too. Glad Cali doesn’t sport the “Valley Girl” accent so much anymore. Lol

[Feegle]

can go 30 miles and the accent changes here mibbies even shorter

[ArMaP]

Watching more of these videos from linguists I just learned that California and Caliphate are very related words. 

Many words are the result of influences from other languages, and place names given by explorers or settlers that spoke other languages are most likely to have that kind of influence, like we see with Los Angeles, San Francisco or Des Moines.

Language is an interesting thing, always evolving.

[Kurokage]

Accents in the UK can change a mile down the road!