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I'm Canadian myself and I know I have a bit of CR in my accent but this guy has the most stereotypical accent I have ever heard! I burst out laughing hen he said "Aboat". He sounds JUST like one of Mckenzie Brothers if not worse possibly.
Can you tell the difference (being a Canadian yourself I mean) when someone talks in this stereotypical Canadian way? or are you unaware.
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As a Canadian who has now lived in the US for almost 20 years . . . it's now pretty easy to spot a Canadian accent - and it doesn't have to be the over the top McKenzie flavor. It's more of a subtle thing . . . a hint of Irish sing-song . . .certain vowels being stretched just a micro-second longer than an American would . . .
e.g. I'm always driving my American-born kids crazy when we are watching TV and I spot a Canadian accent - like the Mom on Phineas and Ferb, the Emily character on Pretty Little Liars - I will usually point to the screen in an accusing way and say "Ha! Clearly Canadian" as if it's some sort of crime or coverup. Then a quick Google search usually proves me right - which of course annoys my kids even more. Good fun.
e.g. I'm always driving my American-born kids crazy when we are watching TV and I spot a Canadian accent - like the Mom on Phineas and Ferb, the Emily character on Pretty Little Liars - I will usually point to the screen in an accusing way and say "Ha! Clearly Canadian" as if it's some sort of crime or coverup. Then a quick Google search usually proves me right - which of course annoys my kids even more. Good fun.
New Yorker who's lived in Montreal for 8 years here: grammar-nerd and fascinated by accents.
Ethnic "Anglos" (Italians comprise the largest group of Anglophones in Quebec these days) tend to self-ghettoize and their accents are very distinctive. My husband grew up in St. Leonard (largely Italian neighborhood) and even though he was born and reared in Montreal, it's very clear if you're paying any attention that his pronunciation and even grammar reflect that he grew up amongst other Italians. For example, when I told him that there's a pronunciation difference between the "g" in "singer" and the "g" in "finger," he thought I was making it up. Nuances of English grammar that come naturally to my h.s. diploma-holding mother are lost on him (he has a PhD in literature...lol). For example, he would very commonly substitute an infinitive for what in English would be a conditional: "If I would be a millionaire, I would be happy."
BUT, you asked what a general Anglo accent sounds like? To me (and somewhat backed up by what I've read on the subject), an Anglo-Montreal accent sounds a bit like that of a love child of one parent with a very slight New York-area accent and another with a very slight general Canadian accent. I've read that only in the US Northeast and in Montreal are the words "marry," "merry," and "Mary" pronounced very distinctively. The "au" in "caught" sounds much more in line with how suburban New Yorkers say it than the flat (to my ears) sound that most Americans seem to make (sounds almost like the "o" in "cot" to me) BUT ask a Montrealer to say "house" and that "ou" gives them away as Canadians every time. :-)
Last edited by Donderklompen; 01-08-2014 at 12:18 AM..
Reason: spelling
New Yorker who's lived in Montreal for 8 years here: grammar-nerd and fascinated by accents.
Ethnic "Anglos" (Italians comprise the largest group of Anglophones in Quebec these days) tend to self-ghettoize and their accents are very distinctive. My husband grew up in St. Leonard (largely Italian neighborhood) and even though he was born and reared in Montreal, it's very clear if you're paying any attention that his pronunciation and even grammar reflect that he grew up amongst other Italians. For example, when I told him that there's a pronunciation difference between the "g" in "singer" and the "g" in "finger," he thought I was making it up. Nuances of English grammar that come naturally to my h.s. diploma-holding mother are lost on him (he has a PhD in literature...lol). For example, he would very commonly substitute an infinitive for what in English would be a conditional: "If I would be a millionaire, I would be happy."
BUT, you asked what a general Anglo accent sounds like? To me (and somewhat backed up by what I've read on the subject), an Anglo-Montreal accent sounds a bit like that of a love child of one parent with a very slight New York-area accent and another with a very slight general Canadian accent. I've read that only in the US Northeast and in Montreal are the words "marry," "merry," and "Mary" pronounced very distinctively. The "au" in "caught" sounds much more in line with how suburban New Yorkers say it than the flat (to my ears) sound that most Americans seem to make (sounds almost like the "o" in "cot" to me) BUT ask a Montrealer to say "house" and that "ou" gives them away as Canadians every time. :-)
As a Canadian who has now lived in the US for almost 20 years . . . it's now pretty easy to spot a Canadian accent - and it doesn't have to be the over the top McKenzie flavor. It's more of a subtle thing . . . a hint of Irish sing-song . . .certain vowels being stretched just a micro-second longer than an American would . . .
e.g. I'm always driving my American-born kids crazy when we are watching TV and I spot a Canadian accent - like the Mom on Phineas and Ferb, the Emily character on Pretty Little Liars - I will usually point to the screen in an accusing way and say "Ha! Clearly Canadian" as if it's some sort of crime or coverup. Then a quick Google search usually proves me right - which of course annoys my kids even more. Good fun.
Are you living in our house, sschibuola? This is EXACTLY what happens between me and my US-born kids all the time!
After living in the US for 17 years, I agree that the Canadian accent can be VERY strong (I have relatives whose accents are McKenziesque), but they usually are much more subtle. Sing-songy is a good way to describe them.
But I would also add what I call "up-talking", which is classically Canadian. In fact, up-talking is so common among Canadians of both sexes and all ages that I've had lots of American friends and family say that they never know if a Canadian is asking a question or making a statement. Another giveaway that the person talking is Canadian is the use of certain words that Americans don't use, as a rule.
Are you living in our house, sschibuola? This is EXACTLY what happens between me and my US-born kids all the time!
After living in the US for 17 years, I agree that the Canadian accent can be VERY strong (I have relatives whose accents are McKenziesque), but they usually are much more subtle. Sing-songy is a good way to describe them.
But I would also add what I call "up-talking", which is classically Canadian. In fact, up-talking is so common among Canadians of both sexes and all ages that I've had lots of American friends and family say that they never know if a Canadian is asking a question or making a statement. Another giveaway that the person talking is Canadian is the use of certain words that Americans don't use, as a rule.
From an American perspective, "up-talking" seems (to me anyway) a lot more prevalent with Australians. Of course, in their case, that's not all that gives them away..
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