The Cincinati Accent? (Cincinnati, Ada: store, corporate, place)

[skippercollector]

Could you explain the difference in the "r" between the two sides of town? I've never heard anyone mention it before.

[PhillytoCincy]

Originally Posted by skippercollector

Could you explain the difference in the "r" between the two sides of town? I've never heard anyone mention it before.

I have never noticed it either; all sounds the same to me.

[Cincy-Rise]

Originally Posted by ccstout

I am a Cincinnatian, and being that I have lived in S. Carolina (Charleston), for four years now -- We Cincinnatians have an accent, and one to be proud of.

I moving to Cincinnati at the end of August, and prior to; I spent three weeks in Cincinnati during July.

Our accent does have a slight "draw", similiar to Charleston's very crisp and sharp. Unlike Columbus and Cleveland (totally seperate and different accents).

You will hear immediatley, words such as:
"Please..." instead of excuse me.
"You guys..." When collectively speaking about a group

West Side Cincinnati even has pronounces the use of their "R" differently than the East Side.

The elders in our beautiful city, still will say "Cincinnatah..." instead of the younger and my generation that says "Cincinnati..." And as far as I am concerned, that is just as much our heritage as geotta. As a few previvous posts have mentioned, our city is changing everyday, but we can not afford to lose these beautiful things that we call our heritage.

I have never in my life heard a local elder refer to Cincy that way ... they usually concentrate on the "N" ... like "notta."

[t45209]

Originally Posted by Cincy-Rise

I have never in my life heard a local elder refer to Cincy that way ... they usually concentrate on the "N" ... like "notta."

What city are you from again?

[Cincy-Rise]

Originally Posted by t45209

What city are you from again?

Anchorage.

[kjbrill]

If you have not heard your elders reference "Cincinnatah..." they must all be pretty young. Note that one - what is "pretty" young. Just something I acquired growing up here in "Cincinnatah..."

They say you never recognize the accent in the area you grew up in as that is what is normal to you. It is everywhere else which is different. That is very likely true. But I find it hard to believe there is a strictly and recognizable Cincinnati accent. Certainly there are differences in speech patterns, but I have to believe it is more connected with family background than a regional thing.

Speaking of the 'r' sound reminds me of something amusing. In the Japanese language, apparently the 'r' sound does not exist. So as they try and learn English, the 'r' sound is very difficult. Many years ago I went to our parent company in Japan. Between the R&D building and their favorite luncheon restaurant was a cemetery. While walking one day through the cemetery on the way to lunch, I happened to notice the gravestone of a Westerner who had been buried there. What stood out to me was the inscription in English May He Lest In Peace.

[high mileage]

I have never heard the 'R' or 'N' thing that some are referring to on here. As for the pronunciaton of Cincinnati, I've heard some people from NE Ohio, and even a few from Toledo pronounce it with an emphasis on 'Nati' to sound almost like 'nanny.'

And speaking as a person with a 'fresh' pair of ears, ignorant to Midwestern Accents, I would say there isn't a recognizable Cincinnati accent. Hell, even Clevelanders do not have a distinct accent IMO. American accents seem to be becoming disturbingly homogenous anyway; at least in the urban areas of the U.S.

[deg1114]

My dad does the "ah" pronounciation at the end of words (Cincinnat-ah, Ohi-ah) and I have heard the "n" which I always that was drawn out like "nnn" or "nyah" or almost like a Spanish "ñ" or perhaps even a "ni" as in, "We are the knights who say ni!"

Never heard the "R"

I'm rambling again. It happens.

[t45209]

Originally Posted by high mileage

American accents seem to be becoming disturbingly homogenous anyway; at least in the urban areas of the U.S.

This is a product of television and the mobility of our society, pure and simple. Regionalization still exists, but kids grow up in front of the television as much or more than they do the people in their own neighborhood. They end up imitating the speach patterns they hear in people from California, for example. A few years ago there was a lot of discussion of a teenager trend toward "uptalk"...a sort of emphasis and inflexion at the end of words and sentences. How does this stuff spread if not through the media and the fact that people don't spend their whole lives in a 20 square mile circle anymore?

The same thing is happening in the UK. Much has been written about the disappearance of certain English accents. And in Germany, Low German dialects are on the way out, too.

It's the way of things, I suppose.

[ccstout]

I am originally from the East Side of Cincinnati, Loveland. My parents were from White Oak and Cheviot. My entire family is from the west side. I did not realize that I had a "Cincinnati accent", until I left Cincinnati, went to Arizona State, and finished at the College of Charleston. But because it seems I am consistently asked where am I from, our "accent" (if we have one) really intrigues me.

The "R" sound really wasn't apparent its not like a northern Canada accent or anything like that. In fact, its more of a stressing of the "R" similar to a faint "Ir".... I know it sounds nuts and I am sure it is probably taking away from my credibility a little bit. The only reason I really remember that, and even bring it up was I could tell a difference, that my family had it. And then at Moeller I had some teachers from the West Side, that did the similar thing.

Its not a denigrating thing, or a negative thing at all, in fact I think its really cool in a way.

Simply, it was something that I had observed along with my brother -- Perhaps something I should not have brought up. I did however, think it was worth mentioning, and maybe someone else has too along the way.