Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've never been to New York before, but I can't remember hardly any young New Yorkers (or easterners in general) I've seen on non-fiction TV speak with the famous accent. It seems like it is primarily associated with older or middle aged people. I know a couple of guys in Danbury, Connecticut (I think) on YouTube who speak with funny accents (sounds like a mish-mash of Canadian and New York), but that's about it. Most films or TV shows, especially those aimed at younger viewers, seem to primarily feature people who speak with the general Midwestern dialect.
So, among younger people, is the New York accent (or eastern accents in general) disappearing?
I'd say if you are talking about the tri-state area as a whole, it is absolutely present. Very strongly, among all ages. If you are talking about Manhattan and parts of north brooklyn only, then yeah it has disappeared greatly...
i don't think the accent is going anywhere.
afterall, ny was started by the dutch first
and that's why the accent is so thick on the
big island, if ya ask me.
Many young New Yorkers don't have accents. It is absolutely true to say that the older generations had stronger accents. But, most young New Yorkers, raised here, have some sort of a New York accent, or atleast are influenced by it. Some have the New York Latino accent, you have African American New York accent, others have the famous Italian-Irish-Jewish New York accent.
To sum it up, there are many types of NY accents. Not everyone is going to sound like Sonny Corleone.
I'd say if you are talking about the tri-state area as a whole, it is absolutely present. Very strongly, among all ages. If you are talking about Manhattan and parts of north brooklyn only, then yeah it has disappeared greatly...
Well Manhattan and Brooklyn is overrun by newcomers.
I'm 27 (don't know how young you consider young), and a lot of my friends who were raised in the five boroughs have an accent, especially friends from Staten Island. But, like super mario said, many accents in NYC are also influenced by people's ethnicity and background.
I'd say accents in general are in decline. Any accent that deviates from what you hear your local TV anchor speak is increasingly considered "uneducated".
I was in grad school a few years ago (22 at the time) and one of my professors kept swearing I had a NY accent. He grew up in Tennessee if I remember correctly.
No it's not disappearing at all. Personally I find mine has gotten stronger over the years...I worry that if I remain here by the time I'm 80 or so I'll be speaking like Morty Seinfeld.
Last edited by NooYowkur81; 09-27-2012 at 06:37 PM..
Sometimes its just how u speak my brother for some reason says "new yerk" my sister me and my other brother say it regular "new york" my mom says ""nooo York" and my dad says "noo yawk"
Haven't heard too much of the "Noo Yawk" accent in recent years; it was a lot more common when I was growing up.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.