Do people in New Orleans have the southern accent? (Baton Rouge: living, rich)

[waltlantz]

I would assume that the hold of dialects has still held on in the metro area? Also, are there prominent accents in teh suburban parishes?

In the DC area, there is no ONE dialect nor even a real disticnt one scince the place has been a crossroads/revolving door of national and international peeps for over 40 years.

Also peeple gotta remember there is no ONE southern dialect. Someone from Knoxville sounds pretty different to someone from Tuscaloosa, and they sound different than someone from Charleston.

[linicx]

While I was in NO I found the residents such as the women at the pharmacy to have a gentle tone of voice. I did not hear a particularly hard dialect of any kind. Cajun is entirely different. I find it delightful, but I don't pretend to understand it, either. .

[BetaBeta]

Since returning after being away for 20+ years I have notice most of the accents/dialects aren't a prominent as they used to be. But like some one said on the first page, back when I grew up here they used to sound sort of NY at a slower pace.

[heras]

I have been all over the country and heard many types of accents. I would have to say that people from New Orleans have the most unique accent in the south by far. It is so weird too, that they are so far down south, yet sound so similar to people from the north east (New York/Brooklyn, Boston, Jersey, etc.) Anyway, I just love people from New Orleans. They are tough and city, but with a genuine heart.

[bustaduke]

Originally Posted by DopeBoiii

Not just them. The cops in New Orleans also didn't have accents. And I don't think it was 20 years ago. It wasn't that old.

Nope what you saw was most likely a true yat. I'm one of them and is you didn't know better you would mistake us for being from Boston or NY.

Funny thins that people from Boston and NY can't figure out where we're from but a true yat will spot on in a crowd now matter what part of the country we're in.

How ta tawk rite


busta

[bustaduke]

Originally Posted by alittlenerdy

^^^
Right. The accent is not typical 'Southern'. It sounds like a Brooklyn or Boston accent that is dragged on or slowed down.

It reminds me of a Lafayette accent slightly, but there is no Cajun or country twist to it. It has more of an island or Italian twist- depending on the person and who they socialize with.


Sometimes people will leave out words, like: "You coming with me?" instead of "Are you coming with me?" and "I like Carrollton area." instead of "I like the Carrollton area."

Like when we say, howsyamomanem, meaning, how's your mom and them.

busta

[bustaduke]

Originally Posted by BRMan

New Orleans received significant settlements of Italians and Irish in the 1800s. And so it's NOT a Memphis, Birmingham, Charleston, Jackson, etc, accent-wise. And nothing is more annoying than to have movies about New Orleans depicting its residents as having a Southern or Cajun accent - "N'Awlins" is neither.

...if you really want to get the heaviest of the New Orleans accent, talk to someone in the Westbank or in St Bernard Parish (Chalmette, Arabi - also known as "Da Parish")

And don't forget about Benny Grunch, typical yat.


YouTube - The 12 Yats of Christmas


busta

[WestbankNOLA]

Originally Posted by bustaduke

And don't forget about Benny Grunch, typical yat.


YouTube - The 12 Yats of Christmas


busta

"...dix pack of sixie..."

[lmcintyre1s]

I'd like to see some kind of comprehensive list of accents from this area. I've seen a video that displays some of them, but there are even more that I have encountered on a day to day basis that weren't mentioned.

A couple guys I work with have an accent that I haven't heard discussed (I don't think). The best way I can describe it is a watered down version of white guys trying to talk like black guys...probably not the best descriptor, but it's the best I can do. One of the guys is from Slidell, the other is from Paulina, if that makes any difference to you.

[NewOrleanstopics]

There are several different dialects within New Orleans. Blacks and whites have different accents and there are several different accents amongst each racial group. The Yat accent is typically associated with whites in New Orleans. As for the majority of Orleans Parish which is Black, you will here different accents depending on being from uptown and downtown and what their education level is. I would say regardless blacks in New Orleans speak with more of a Caribbean sounding accent then Southern and whites speak with more of a Brooklynese sort of accent. You can tell a differerence in old New Orlenians speach pattern to the younger generations. My grandma for instance sometimes mixes creole words in her speech where as you want here that with younger New Orlenians. Either way though, the english spoken here is a creolized english. People from out of town have trouble understanding the less educated people from heres talk.