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My family is from Mississippi and I don't hear a particularly southern accent from myself since I grew up in Southern California, but then, I have always heard any particularly black dialect termed as 'ebonic' and subsequently insinuated as intellectually deficient, as if intelligence could be measured superficially. But yes, people regardless of ethnicity, may emulate the speech and vernacular of the area they grow up in. Blacks born during the past century, even if their families migrated north and west may exhibit even unknowingly, traces of southern grammar in their speech.
And sometimes we do recognize it. I'm fully aware that I seldom pronounce a difference between "pin" and "pen," but I pronounce "greasy" rhyming with either "fleecy" or "cheesy" depending on context.
Most vowels shift to a flat "eh" sound as a sort of urban adaptation of the boston accent. Maybe to make it more hip or "hep" as the Boston kids would say
Here are New York Blacks with a typical Northeastern accent. Not a HINT of Southern in their speech at ALL. Not far at all from the way Whites in NYC talk. What is Southern here??
Here are New York Blacks with a typical Northeastern accent. Not a HINT of Southern in their speech at ALL. Not far at all from the way Whites in NYC talk. What is Southern here??
When I listen more carefully, there are TINY remnants of Southernisms in their speech. Such as how they say "my" or "on" (mah and awn, respectively). Their vowels otherwise exhibit Northern patterns.
Here are New York Blacks with a typical Northeastern accent. Not a HINT of Southern in their speech at ALL. Not far at all from the way Whites in NYC talk. What is Southern here??
I actually hear quite a bit of Southern accent here. There's also an obvious Northeastern influence as well, but it just sounds like a hybrid of both accents to my ears.
Definitely doesn't sound like a typical white Northeastern accent.
I actually hear quite a bit of Southern accent here. There's also an obvious Northeastern influence as well, but it just sounds like a hybrid of both accents to my ears.
Definitely doesn't sound like a typical white Northeastern accent.
Yeah, at second listen I realize there do exist Southernisms in NYC speech in Blacks. Some of the vowels aren't Northeastern. It is less pronounced in Blacks that have grown up around Whites (like Spike Lee who sounds VERY Northeastern).
In my opinion, a good example of a true hybrid would be Beanie Sigel (Philadelphia). His seems to be very 50/50.
The thing I don't get is why are you so worried about it? Are you a mad scientist or something trying to analyze blacks to death?
It's not something you can just turn off and turn on unless you force yourself to fyi.
Do people ask whites why they talk like hillbillies all the time? Obviously, they don't sound like us and we don't sound like them and don't even want to.
Last edited by Mike from back east; 07-14-2020 at 07:02 PM..
Here are New York Blacks with a typical Northeastern accent. Not a HINT of Southern in their speech at ALL. Not far at all from the way Whites in NYC talk. What is Southern here??
Sorry, that sounds mostly southern. I would never mistake those accents for being white New Yorkers.
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