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My in-laws grew up in the South and moved to northern Ohio back in the mid-'50s for a job. To this day, my FIL, who is now in his eighties, still has a very thick southern accent, as did my MIL before she died, even after spending decades surrounded by native northern Ohioans and their particular accent. Their kids, however, both speak like the natives of northern Ohio that they are, without a hint of southern twang, even though both parents never lost theirs. Interesting.
Accents are a funny thing. Five years after I moved from the midwest to the deep south the locals still recognized me as a yankee, but when I went to my high school reunion everyone wanted to know where I was living because I had picked up such a cute southern accent, lol. I hadn't realized my accent had changed at all.
Also my kids sound very different from each other with one sounding much more 'country' than the other. Since they grew up together in the same household the only thing I can attribute it to is that the age difference put them in different elementary schools with different types of friends and teachers. The older one spent her younger years around a more blue collar, lower income group and I think that's where the country sound comes from. It's noticeably different from the sound of her more citified sibling.
My in-laws grew up in the South and moved to northern Ohio back in the mid-'50s for a job. To this day, my FIL, who is now in his eighties, still has a very thick southern accent, as did my MIL before she died, even after spending decades surrounded by native northern Ohioans and their particular accent. Their kids, however, both speak like the natives of northern Ohio that they are, without a hint of southern twang, even though both parents never lost theirs. Interesting.
It is interesting. I find people in Ohio to have a much more nasal speaking voice than Southerners, though.
It is interesting. I find people in Ohio to have a much more nasal speaking voice than Southerners, though.
I worked with many Ohioans who moved from other parts of the state while I was in Columbus and noticed that natives of the northern farmlands (areas around Marion, Findlay, Morrow County, etc.) have a slight drawl. It's not southern, but it's not the Toledo or Cleveland accent either.
I worked with many Ohioans who moved from other parts of the state while I was in Columbus and noticed that natives of the northern farmlands (areas around Marion, Findlay, Morrow County, etc.) have a slight drawl. It's not southern, but it's not the Toledo or Cleveland accent either.
Yes, but I am not talking about a drawl. I'm talking about the way northerners speak- The Inland North accent which is mainly in Ohio and parts of PA and Upstate NY. completely opposite of Southern drawl. Very fast and very nasal.
Location: Appalachian New York, Formerly Louisiana
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Originally Posted by rvabread22
Yes, but I am not talking about a drawl. I'm talking about the way northerners speak- The Inland North accent which is mainly in Ohio and parts of PA and Upstate NY. completely opposite of Southern drawl. Very fast and very nasal.
What do you mean by nasal? I don't really hear a majority of nasally speech here.
Also truthfully, people here don't all speak quickly. People who do speak at that pace stand out around here.
Most rural natives of this areas are fairly laid back.
Is this a question? Because that's how they spoke for 30, 40, 50 years even more if they are snowbirds. Look I'm from Boston I know I have an accent if I fly to Charlotte and get a banking job, does growing up in greater Boston go away?
I think some people can lose and pick up accents, but others can't. I used to try to lose my New York accent, and every time I thought I had, someone would comment on my accent. I did weaken it a bit. A friend of mine did comment that he did notice that people from the Northeast tend not to lose their accents the way others do. I kind of wondered about that myself.
Location: Appalachian New York, Formerly Louisiana
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Originally Posted by Kemba
I think some people can lose and pick up accents, but others can't. I used to try to lose my New York accent, and every time I thought I had, someone would comment on my accent. I did weaken it a bit. A friend of mine did comment that he did notice that people from the Northeast tend not to lose their accents the way others do. I kind of wondered about that myself.
Again, a lot of northerners do lose their accent.
Think about it; the northerners who do lose their accent and pick up a southern one no longer sound like they are from the north. So how can you tell how many have lost their accent? You aren't going to know in passing conversation because they don't sound northern anymore.
In my case by the third year I lived in Louisiana my upstate NY speak was gone entirely.
I guarantee to you that just as many northerners lose their accent as those who do not. It's just that you can't tell how many do lose it because... they don't have it anymore!
Think about it; the northerners who do lose their accent and pick up a southern one no longer sound like they are from the north. So how can you tell how many have lost their accent? You aren't going to know in passing conversation because they don't sound northern anymore.
In my case by the third year I lived in Louisiana my upstate NY speak was gone entirely.
I guarantee to you that just as many northerners lose their accent as those who do not. It's just that you can't tell how many do lose it because... they don't have it anymore!
I don't doubt that. What I was saying was that some people who want to lose their accents, like myself, try to, but can't.
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