The way Virginians used to talk... (Richmond, Roanoke: areas, phone, counties)

[Richmonder27]

I post this because the native culture in Virginia is almost fading into obscurity. A lot of people unfamiliar with Virginia may never be exposed to this because its really a thing of the past.


But for anyone interested , this is how a native of Richmond (and to a degree NOVA) is supposed to sound!




YouTube - A Very Richmond Phone Call

[irvine]

That's the Virginia Piedmont dialect, native to much of Virginia (yes, Northern VA), and most of Maryland.

I interviewed an elderly Georgetown (DC) resident, also a DC native, a few years ago for an assignment, and the dialect as spoken in DC was largely indistinguishable from its Richmond "cousin."

There is still evidence of the postvocalic /r/ common to the VA Piedmont dialect when some natives say "Warshintn" instead of "Washington"

[Richmonder27]

Originally Posted by irvine

That's the Virginia Piedmont dialect, native to much of Virginia (yes, Northern VA), and most of Maryland.

I interviewed an elderly Georgetown (DC) resident, also a DC native, a few years ago for an assignment, and the dialect as spoken in DC was largely indistinguishable from its Richmond "cousin."

There is still evidence of the postvocalic /r/ common to the VA Piedmont dialect when some natives say "Warshintn" instead of "Washington"

Very close. Its Tidewater- the Piedmont don't say quite oot and aboot. This is not Canadian, but a Southern influence which stretches from NOVA down through coastal South Carolina.

Diane Rhemes is a native of DC and she has a similar accent. I always thought, though that the DC accent, while very close, is not quite as elegant as Richmond.

[SiestaBay]

Ahhhh, yep, that's Virginian! Like nails on a chalkboard

[Richmonder27]

Originally Posted by SiestaBay

Ahhhh, yep, that's Virginian! Like nails on a chalkboard

Oh yes. A Brooklyn accent is so much more charming.

[SiestaBay]

Originally Posted by Richmonder27

Oh yes. A Brooklyn accent is so much more charming.

Glad we agree!

[Anders15]

If you're apart of a church (or social group) with older people you still get it. It all depends on where YOU go and hang out IMO.

[Richmonder27]

Originally Posted by RonMaverick804

If you're apart of a church (or social group) with older people you still get it. It all depends on where YOU go and hang out IMO.

Yeah people over 75.

No young people today in Richmond sound like Richmonders. Let alone Virginians.

They sound like Californians. Its kinda sad.

[blueeyes30]

Southwestern Virginians still have their accents. My relatives and many people in Washington and Tazewell counties still have that mountain dialect. However, that part of the state hasn't really drawn in people from all over like the rest of Virginia.

But in areas of northern Virginia, the native Virginia accent or just a southern accent, is rare these days.

[sweetpotater58]

The accent is still around, I travel a lot around the state, and hear this accent quite a bit from Culpeper, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Danville, Emporia, and into the Shenandoah Valley areas on up to Winchester.