Why Doesn't The Black Community in NYC Have a Southern Twang to its Accent? (New York: live, bus)
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If you go to almost every major city in the US whether it's in the midwest, west, or southeast, the blacks all have a southern twang to their accent. However, in NYC, the blacks have no hint of the southern accent. The funny thing is that a lot of blacks in NYC are descendants of southern migrants, but there seems to be no trace of the southern accent passed down from earlier generations.
Because people's speech is influenced by the place they live and other people. In other words were ever you go your speech is bound to start sounding like the natives and your children will sound more and more like the place you currently live, but your children may also pick up the some of the same ways of speech from where you originated due to being around you.
That twang that southern people are known for is due to England and surrounding areas plus Ireland. The New England colonies not only rejected England but England's Queen's English but not only for rejection but laziness too.
In the south there were a lot of Irish settlers which turned around the Irish way of speaking. (Please note that there were other settlers in other parts of the world who settled in the south but as I'm trying to remember what was taught to me by my speech professor I remember him distinctly saying the southern accent was most closely related to the Irish. That certain vowels were completely turned around or pronounced slightly different.)
Maybe someone who's a linguist around here can answer much better than I.
There were 3 main phases to the great migration from the south. The earliest phase was to the northeastern states, with the southerners coming mainly from the south eastern coastal states. This phase went from approximately 1910 - 1930. Most Black native NYers with a southern heritage are descendants of these migrants. The southern accent was lost over time.
In answer to another poster, the original southern accent is a blend of Irish, Scottish, and French. Also the Irish that settled in the south were what is known as Scots Irish, Scottish people that immigrated to Ireland for a 1 or 2 generations, and then immigrated to the US. These Scots Irish immigrants were protestants.
There were 3 main phases to the great migration from the south. The earliest phase was to the northeastern states, with the southerners coming mainly from the south eastern coastal states. This phase went from approximately 1910 - 1930. Most Black native NYers with a southern heritage are descendants of these migrants. The southern accent was lost over time.
In answer to another poster, the original southern accent is a blend of Irish, Scottish, and French. Also the Irish that settled in the south were what is known as Scots Irish, Scottish people that immigrated to Ireland for a 1 or 2 generations, and then immigrated to the US. These Scots Irish immigrants were protestants.
But there are still traces of the southern accents in places on the west coast and the midwest. Blacks in LA, Oakland, Chicago, DC, and Philly(Yes Philly blacks have a twang). All have southern traces in their accents. They are also descendants of migrants from the same era of the migrants to NYC. The question is why did the hint of the southern twang died out in the black accent of NYC?
Also dont forget that unlike most other US cities, NYC has a huge number of black people who didn't originally come from the South. Second generation Caribbean, Central American, South American, and African immigrants especially won't have much of any discernible accent, let alone a Southern one.
Last edited by citylove101; 02-01-2011 at 04:20 PM..
If you go to almost every major city in the US whether it's in the midwest, west, or southeast, the blacks all have a southern twang to their accent. However, in NYC, the blacks have no hint of the southern accent. The funny thing is that a lot of blacks in NYC are descendants of southern migrants, but there seems to be no trace of the southern accent passed down from earlier generations.
Its because the blacks in NYC are not really blacks.
Things in NYC are not always as they seem.
There was a huge conspiracy and it can all be traced back to the Koch era.
I was there and witnessed it first hand back in the days.
northeastern blacks derive their accents from the classic italian/irish.. etc accents of new york and add their twist on it. New york city/northeastern blacks are the furthest from southern of any blacks in the USA
Because people's speech is influenced by the place they live and other people. In other words were ever you go your speech is bound to start sounding like the natives and your children will sound more and more like the place you currently live, but your children may also pick up the some of the same ways of speech from where you originated due to being around you.
That twang that southern people are known for is due to England and surrounding areas plus Ireland. The New England colonies not only rejected England but England's Queen's English but not only for rejection but laziness too.
In the south there were a lot of Irish settlers which turned around the Irish way of speaking. (Please note that there were other settlers in other parts of the world who settled in the south but as I'm trying to remember what was taught to me by my speech professor I remember him distinctly saying the southern accent was most closely related to the Irish. That certain vowels were completely turned around or pronounced slightly different.)
Maybe someone who's a linguist around here can answer much better than I.
Whoops, there goes that Fibromyalgia thing again. Should have typed King's English instead of Queens English. lol
But there are still traces of the southern accents in places on the west coast and the midwest. Blacks in LA, Oakland, Chicago, DC, and Philly(Yes Philly blacks have a twang). All have southern traces in their accents. They are also descendants of migrants from the same era of the migrants to NYC. The question is why did the hint of the southern twang died out in the black accent of NYC?
Correct to your first sentences. however they came in later phases of the great migration, some coming as late as the 1960's. They also came from states like Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, where not as many migrated to NYC from those states, if they did they also mostly came earlier before 1930 to NYC.
Some people consider DC a southern/northern mix leaning more south. A lot of people move back and forth between DC, Delaware, Baltimore, and Philly. There is more interaction between DC and Philly natives, that have lived there for generations.
Also White southerners speak with more twang, example like Paula Dean. The Black southern accent is different, like a Black Brooklyn accent compared to an Italian American Brooklyn accent. If you know NY accents you can tell they are both from Bklyn, but they sound different.
Correct to your first sentences. however they came in later phases of the great migration, some coming as late as the 1960's. They also came from states like Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, where not as many migrated to NYC from those states, if they did they also mostly came earlier before 1930 to NYC.
Some people consider DC a southern/northern mix leaning more south. A lot of people move back and forth between DC, Delaware, Baltimore, and Philly. There is more interaction between DC and Philly natives, that have lived there for generations.
Also White southerners speak with more twang, example like Paula Dean. The Black southern accent is different, like a Black Brooklyn accent compared to an Italian American Brooklyn accent. If you know NY accents you can tell they are both from Bklyn, but they sound different.
Name me some hip Hop stars or post some listening videos where the average black from New York sounds different than other blacks in the USA. Name me a show where they have a unique accent other than AAVE. Show me an article where they have been noticed to have a different accent or one that sounds like the traditional NY accent.
Today on the bus I heard this loud black woman talking, even though I only saw her face when I stood up to depart the bus, I knew she was black from that all too obvious Southern based AAVE accent.
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