What southern city or state has the best accent ? (compare, map, largest)
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In any case, in my experience, the North Carolinian accent is a little more-"syrupy", while the Texas accent has more of a "twang", slightly-westernized...
Getting back to the main point of the thread. The worst Southern accent that I've ever heard is the country singer Reba McEntire. I don't know what kind of "Southern" accent that is, but it absolutely grates on me. I hate her voice and accent. Thankfully most of the Southern accents I've heard are not that extreme. I think that TV and other forms of broadcast media have mixed the Southern accents with more ordinary Midwestern accents, which makes the Southern accents a little less grating on the ears. I don't know how Southerners ever got those dog-awful accents, because they don't sound anything like the British (which is where most of them came from) or other Americans in the north or Midwest.
Low-country (coastal plain) southern speech does have soft overtones similar to English speech.
Mountain twang's "harshness" is likely attributed to the influence of the Scots-Irish population. If you've ever heard a Scotsman, they aren't so eloquent.
Reba McEntire might be from Oklahoma, but she doesn't talk like most Oklahomans that I've heard. Her accent is VERY "Southern" sounding. Almost like a cartoonish version of a typical Southern accent.
Two-thirds of the area of Oklahoma is firmly in the hands of people who speak with a southern accent.
Dude, are you seriously suggesting that I personally am overstating the size of the South? How many states are considered to be a part of the South is not determined by me but by a shared culture (that isn't relegated to just the Civil War) and by the Federal Government who divide the country in the following way:
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey
The South
Deleware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Viriginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana
The Midwest (aka "Not the North)
Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa
The West
Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii
Now granted, this list is not hard and fast. For example, Maryland and especially Delaware today are culturally closer as a whole to the Midatlantic states in the Northeast than it is to the South and Oklahoma and Texas can be seen as transitional areas. The fact remains though that even when you remove those four states from the South, the South still has the largest amount of states and the largest population of any of the other regions.
Are you under the impression that every state in a region has to be "just like each of them"? Do you think that there is no difference between Mississippi and Alabama or Tennessee or Georgia? Every state has it's own identity and it's own separate culture.
However I will say that North Carolina and Texas have far more in common historically and culturally than Wisconsin or Vermont ever will. Hell, North Carolina and Vermont will have a lot more in common given than it would with Wisonsin since they were both colonial states.
Why in the world would I do that?
And what do you call your attempts at combining the Midwest with the Northeast?
Says the person who thinks a state in New England somehow has something in common with Wisconsin in any meaningful way....
Many of those who settled Wisconsin (aside from those coming directly from Germany, Poland, Scandinavia and other European countries) came from New England, although they had minimal influence on the speech patterns of people in that state compared to those migrating from the older parts of the Great Lakes region as well as the aforementioned European countries.
Also, Vermont and Wisconsin both hold a strong French Canadian influence which dates from the time of initial white settlement as well a gravitation towards more liberal 3rd parties (especially in Wisconsin.)
Many of those who settled Texas, including many who fought at the Alamo, were from North Carolina, which had a significant influence on the state's accents and culture. Also, both states have a strong Scots-Irish influence.
The Savannah accent is similiar to the Alabama and Mississippi coastal accent...Even Alabama has different dialects especially the blacks in Alabama.African Americans in Mobile have a different dialect than those from Birmingham,Huntsville and Montgomery.
True. And I think that whites in Alabama most likely fall in one of two categories: Northern (as in North Alabama) twang or Southern drawl
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cthulhu7
Many of those who settled Wisconsin (aside from those coming directly from Germany, Poland, Scandinavia and other European countries) came from New England, although they had minimal influence on the speech patterns of people in that state compared to those migrating from the older parts of the Great Lakes region as well as the aforementioned European countries.
Migration from the original thirteen states to states that entered the Union post-Revolution is a common thread North, South, and Midwest. What you stated at the beginning (the Scandinavian and German influence) is what sets states like Wisconsin and Minnesota apart from states in New England (and pretty much every other part of the country).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cthulhu7
Also, Vermont and Wisconsin both hold a strong French Canadian influence which dates from the time of initial white settlement as well a gravitation towards more liberal 3rd parties (especially in Wisconsin.)
I'll admit I was not aware of the French Canadian influence in Wisconsin, but how is that different than Mississippi or Louisiana that also had large migrations of French Canadians in their early history, particularly Louisiana who say the lion share of that migration?
Politically speaking, while Vermont is solidly liberal now, this is a recent occurrence. Up until 1992, it was a solid Republican state. Also, while Vermonters are known to be politically independent (Bernie Sanders being the best example of that) it is not at all in the same manner as Wisconsin, particularly in the support of third parties (Bernie Sanders withstanding).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cthulhu7
Many of those who settled Texas, including many who fought at the Alamo, were from North Carolina, which had a significant influence on the state's accents and culture. Also, both states have a strong Scots-Irish influence.
This is one binding commonality between North Carolina and Texas, however I am usually amazed as this is usually the path taken in these type of discussions because it's just one of many. Another very strong bond between North Carolina and Texas is their large African-American populations, something common to all Southern states even though some on this thread would believe that it's filled mostly with toothless mountain folk.
Well for the first time I will have to agree with Stars and Stripes. You have too look at it from a different perspective. Most blacks in the South will either say soda or the brand. We will never go into a restaurant or store and ask "what kind of coke do you have." I never said it. My family never said it. My friends never said it. I never even knew that was even popular until I came on the internet. But most Whites in the South may in fact ask that question in a restaurant or store.
Now I live in the Chicago area. They say pop up here and they are trying to get me to say it. It's not happening.
Well that's the thing; I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood and area.
True. And I think that whites in Alabama most likely fall in one of two categories: Northern (as in North Alabama) twang or Southern drawl
Yeah, I'm from south Alabama near the FL state line, and the accents in north Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky seem more twangy than mine. Mine is more similar to what you'd hear across south GA and into the coastal Carolinas.
Migration from the original thirteen states to states that entered the Union post-Revolution is a common thread North, South, and Midwest. What you stated at the beginning (the Scandinavian and German influence) is what sets states like Wisconsin and Minnesota apart from states in New England (and pretty much every other part of the country).
I'll admit I was not aware of the French Canadian influence in Wisconsin, but how is that different than Mississippi or Louisiana that also had large migrations of French Canadians in their early history, particularly Louisiana who say the lion share of that migration?
Vermont was still a part of NY during the revolution.
Aside from place names (of which many are still quite evident) the French Canadian influence on Wisconsin has faded significantly over the centuries, as can be seen in this map:
Also, Wisconsin and Vermont are both near the Canadian border and have similar climates which would have required similar preparations for early settlers (clothing, construction, diet etc.)
Politically speaking, while Vermont is solidly liberal now, this is a recent occurrence. Up until 1992, it was a solid Republican state. Also, while Vermonters are known to be politically independent (Bernie Sanders being the best example of that) it is not at all in the same manner as Wisconsin, particularly in the support of third parties (Bernie Sanders withstanding).
Very good example.
Also, the Socialist Party had a huge influence on Wisconsin, which was also carried by the Progressive party in multiple presidential elections during the first half of the 20th century. Wisconsin Progressive Party - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Quote:
Originally Posted by waronxmas
This is one binding commonality between North Carolina and Texas, however I am usually amazed as this is usually the path taken in these type of discussions because it's just one of many. Another very strong bond between North Carolina and Texas is their large African-American populations, something common to all Southern states even though some on this thread would believe that it's filled mostly with toothless mountain folk.
Very true.
NC has a slightly larger proportion which is black/African-American. Both states have large Mexican-American populations compared to other southern states, although Texas clearly has largest in number and proportion by far.
Dialect/accent regions, this map was already posted somewhere on the C-D forums:
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