What do you think of the Coastal Southern Accent? (Savannah: school, live)

[SirThomas]

There is an often overlooked accent in the south that is found in the coastal states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and some other states. My family and I have this accent, yet it is quickly being replaced by a General American or "Appalachian-like" accent in the states where it previously dominated. Through the generations the accent is becoming less distinguished, for example: my grandparents and I speak with non-rhoticity (leaving the letter r out of words), yet my mother and sister who have spent more time in cities have rhoticity in their speech. A good example of the classic coastal Southern accent can be found in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkJspmTfqks

In case you're wondering, my family and I are from central Georgia: that's why I'm posting this here.

[Iconographer]

My mother's family is from coastal Georgia. I know exactly what you mean, particularly regarding non-rhoticity...my aunt pronounces the word 'tournament' as 'tunamint', for example. It's a lovely accent, although for members of my family that moved north it's by and large faded away. I remember when my aunt would visit her daughter in Connecticut neighbors would drop in just to hear her talk.

[SirThomas]

My grandmother gets the same fascination by others as your aunt did. She works in freight shipping and speaks to Puerto Ricans on a daily basis, they love the way she talks. Many of my family members moved out of Georgia, including myself, yet I seem to be the only one that has retained the non-rhoticity of the accent: it's a strange phenomenon.

[Southern man]

I loved to hear Lewis talk. Its better than music, but then I love any Southern talk.

[StMarysRichard]

I absolutely love to listen to those who speak a Georgian accent. I just cant believe that I live abot as far south in GA as you can get, yet, most seem to talk like they are from up North. Ohhhhh, and when a true southern woman talks that true southern GA way, is it ever sexy!

[WanderingImport]

Originally Posted by StMarysRichard

I absolutely love to listen to those who speak a Georgian accent. I just cant believe that I live abot as far south in GA as you can get, yet, most seem to talk like they are from up North. Ohhhhh, and when a true southern woman talks that true southern GA way, is it ever sexy!

Travel but a few miles west of you to Folkston and you'll hear many more southern accents.

[StMarysRichard]

Originally Posted by WanderingImport

Travel but a few miles west of you to Folkston and you'll hear many more southern accents.

Oh yes, I have been there quite a bit. They speak in 'Swampese' over 'dere don't they? I know one thing, Folkston's restaurants suck though. Otherwise I like it. Now further down, in the 'toe' of GA around Saint George, is an entirely different unique accent also. They must have some kind of Indian population down in the 'Toe', because I seen a complex for PowWows. Do you know anything about it? I think it is in Moniac.

[SavannahLife]

doesn't folkston have a solid bbq buffet place? Can't remember the name. Was near Okeefenokee one of its entrances when we went to visit. Had a gator statue in the doorway. It hit the spot.

Love the accents. Love em so much. In GA they even seem ever so slightly different I do declare than Chahleston. I like old timers accents from all over the country, but the southeast coast is my favorite yet. A close second would be Boston Irish. Or Minnesohta. Many of my acquaintances here in Savaaanah have it still. Again, baby boomer generation or older, and from old families here. Well I do certainly enjoy listening to them.

[masonbauknight]

The old Savannah accent is nice -- I agree, SavLife. But I don't think it includes many baby boomers. I'm a boomer myself, and it was very rare to hear it at school among my classmates. But their parents (all now past age 75, and most in their 80s), yes. My old Savannah teachers had the accent, so it wasn't a "fine families" accent per se. A lady down the street from my parents, who passed away several years ago just shy of her 100th birthday, was from a regular working-class Irish family and grew up downtown across from a square. She began as a nurse at the old Candler Hospital downtown in the mid-1930s and retired around 1961, I believe. But she had that very smooth, courtly Savannah accent, one of the nicest any native English-speaker could have. But it is fading fast.

[AnsleyPark]

Like all accents, it's very pretty.