Will my kids get an accent? (Richmond, Mechanicsville: home, live in, garden)

[NJRAMAL]

Originally Posted by vabred5088

And to the person about how black people say y'all in the northeast. Uhhh.....where do you think black families moved to the northeast from originally? If you pay attention, there are still a lot of similarities between southern and black speech, and it's not just a coincidence.

I agree. But the bottom line is that the word "y'all" is spoken frequently in New York City.

[evanharrison]

I was born and raised in Richmond and I don't have much of any kind of accent. Although, when I did go to college at NC State in Raleigh they told me I had a bit of a northern accent!

[kirbysuperstar]

I was also born in upstate New York, although more central. I was born in Rome but left at 10 and ended up in NJ, CA, and now VA. Us New Yorkers definitely have an accent (I notcie a lot of y'knows from my family, wonder if it's a Northern thing?) and we still hate those pompous city dwellers that tell us we're not "real" New Yorkers! Remember there's a whole state!

Any who to get back on track I doubt you or your children will get an accent. I was another "I'm from the North and saying y'all is weird" but that didn't last past a year or two. I can turn on a little bit of twang if I'm talking to someone with an accent, but it doesn't feel genuine at all and just go with what I got.

Funny thing is when I moved out to CA some people would ask if I was from the City, which I thought was odd because I don't have those split a's.

[blueva]

This is a real Richmond accent:


YouTube - A Very Richmond Phone Call
You simply wont hear it except from the lips of the elderly.

[Yankeerose00]

You simply wont hear it except from the lips of the elderly.

That's true. It seems only people beyond age 65 will say things like "the rivah" for river, "bettah" for better, etc. It sounds a lot like a Savannah accent.

However, the rest of Richmond either has almost no accent, or you get the country accent which is very twangy and sounds like anywhere else in the south.

Now, for Hanover county....they have their own accent. The people born and raised in my town and around Ashland will speak with a slight twang but they say words like "air" for our. Such as "Welcome to 'air' side of town." Also, they say "aboot" for about. The ONLY people I've ever heard say "aboot" are Canadians, so when I first moved to the country, I thought I was coming across Canadians. Anyone else around here notice this? So far it's only "air" and "aboot" that stick out to me and it seems like it's only Hanover that does this. I haven't heard anybody in Richmond say it.

Also, according to a survey, Richmond and other parts of Virginia, parts Connecticut and parts of MA are the only places that say "ont" for the word aunt. Everyone says "ont" in Virginia. At first I thought it sounded pompous but I'm used to it now. I still say aunt though.

[ElizaTeal]

Children under the age of 9 are more likely to develope an accent.

[blueva]

Originally Posted by Yankeerose00

That's true. It seems only people beyond age 65 will say things like "the rivah" for river, "bettah" for better, etc. It sounds a lot like a Savannah accent.

However, the rest of Richmond either has almost no accent, or you get the country accent which is very twangy and sounds like anywhere else in the south.

Now, for Hanover county....they have their own accent. The people born and raised in my town and around Ashland will speak with a slight twang but they say words like "air" for our. Such as "Welcome to 'air' side of town." Also, they say "aboot" for about. The ONLY people I've ever heard say "aboot" are Canadians, so when I first moved to the country, I thought I was coming across Canadians. Anyone else around here notice this? So far it's only "air" and "aboot" that stick out to me and it seems like it's only Hanover that does this. I haven't heard anybody in Richmond say it.

Also, according to a survey, Richmond and other parts of Virginia, parts Connecticut and parts of MA are the only places that say "ont" for the word aunt. Everyone says "ont" in Virginia. At first I thought it sounded pompous but I'm used to it now. I still say aunt though.

I think you can hear a smattering of the old Richmond accent from the lips of the middle aged. Those under 40 have a more generic garden variety Southern accent.

The twangy accents are part of Richmond's very close proximity to North Carolina- and all the people that came here to get jobs from there. Chesterfield County in fact is very North Carolininan in accent and feel- to me at least. The regeal Virginia accent of Tidewater and Upper Crust seeems almost "Gone With The Wind".

There are at least 4 accents in the Richmond area- The Fan even had its own. My grandmother- I would not like to say this, but yes, she had the upper crust Richmond accent. She was born in 1918.

The young people in Richmond today sound like California dudes and dudettes- and I just cringe everytime someone says "you guys". C'mon- this is Richmond, not New Jersey.

Im not sure about "Awnt" but I always thought it was Southern. My parents said Yankees say "Ant".


Its a common misconception about "Oot and 'Aboot" being Canadian. Do they drawl it out ? I think not!

Aboot is not Canadian. They say 'Aboat" and "Oat".Aboot and Ooot is very Southern and not unique to Virginia- it extends to Eastern NC and SC

IMO, I find Northern accents much "twangier"- because they are harsh on the ears and talk more fast and bit more through the nose.

Oh and there's no such thing as "no accent". The "no accent' would probably be because if you're from the North you hear other Northerners talking just like you. So the no-accented Richmonders are just the out of state people.

[Yankeerose00]

My parents said Yankees say "Ant".

Basically the entire US says ant, except for VA, Connecticut and Massachusetts. In all 3 states, there are parts that say "ont" and parts that say "ant". I read a study done on it once and I've found it to be true. Many people in CT/MA say "ont" just like they do here. However the rest of the south does not say "ont", it's "ant."
Saying ont, is not a southern thing, it's a holdover from the English settlements, that's why you only hear it in VA and parts of New England. No place else. It's just something that VA has in common with New England.

So the no-accented Richmonders are just the out of state people.

I work with 3 people born and raised in Richmond who have basically no accent. Friends of my husband are from here and grew up in Mechanicsville and they are the same. They are the same way in Tampa, FL where I lived. Those raised within the city had no accent. Believe me, I would never confuse a northern and southern accent. Maybe I should say, there is very little accent. There is no drawl whatsoever. My coworkers do not have the "Gone w/ the wind-Rivah" accent, they don't have the country twang or southern drawl, they never say y'all. The one girl told me she went to private school and the students couldn't use slang like y'all. They never say "aboot" or "oot". They have no accent.

And the "aboot" I hear in VA sounds just like the Canadians, IMO. I lived in Florida surrounded by Canadians and the "aboot" thing sounds the same to my ears. I never heard anyone in Florida or Tennessee say "aboot" It must be a VA/Carolina thing.

[blueva]

Originally Posted by Yankeerose00

Basically the entire US says ant, except for VA, Connecticut and Massachusetts. In all 3 states, there are parts that say "ont" and parts that say "ant". I read a study done on it once and I've found it to be true. Many people in CT/MA say "ont" just like they do here. However the rest of the south does not say "ont", it's "ant."
Saying ont, is not a southern thing, it's a holdover from the English settlements, that's why you only hear it in VA and parts of New England. No place else. It's just something that VA has in common with New England.

I work with 3 people born and raised in Richmond who have basically no accent. Friends of my husband are from here and grew up in Mechanicsville and they are the same. They are the same way in Tampa, FL where I lived. Those raised within the city had no accent. Believe me, I would never confuse a northern and southern accent. Maybe I should say, there is very little accent. There is no drawl whatsoever. My coworkers do not have the "Gone w/ the wind-Rivah" accent, they don't have the country twang or southern drawl, they never say y'all. The one girl told me she went to private school and the students couldn't use slang like y'all. They never say "aboot" or "oot". They have no accent.

And the "aboot" I hear in VA sounds just like the Canadians, IMO. I lived in Florida surrounded by Canadians and the "aboot" thing sounds the same to my ears. I never heard anyone in Florida or Tennessee say "aboot" It must be a VA/Carolina thing.

I guess Im just saying that EVERYONE has an accent. There is no such thing as a non-accent.

Its impossible not to have an accent. EVERYONE has an accent. So the people must have Northern/Yankee accents if they dont sound accented to you. Or they have very light Richmond accents that just sound mellowed out by the influx of other people.

Saying "Ant" it totally Yankee IMO, lol. Go to Charleston, SC and you will hear "Awnt".

As for "oot " and "aboot" I have heard Canadians say it, and it just doesnt sound the same as we say it. Its more at "aboat". I guess to an outsider, they could mistake it that way. I am so sensitive to Richmond area accents, that I would never mistake it for Canadian. Y'all! lol

[Yankeerose00]

Saying "Ant" it totally Yankee IMO, lol. Go to Charleston, SC and you will hear "Awnt".

Oy. How can "ant" be Yankee when the ENTIRE United States says it except for VA, CT, MA, and apparently Charleston, SC? I'm not being rude but have you ever been to the west coast, the midwest, other parts of the south like Georgia, Florida, Tennesse? These states would not be considered yankee AND they say "ant" Yes, they do. Yes, they do. Trust me. Your parents are WRONG. "ant" is not a Yankee thing.

Did you not read where I said that Connecticut and Massachusettes have many areas that say "ont"? The pronunciation stems from the English settlements in these areas. Gee whiz. Let this go already.

And when someone is considered to have no accent, generally it's referred to what you hear on tv from newscasters. Of course everyone has some type of accent but saying a person has no accent means that you can't listen to a few sentences and immediately tell where they are from. Ever take a course in broadcasting? Ever audiction for a commercial? Ever try to get into any type of performing arts? You will be expected to have what is considered "no accent."

Did you read this post?

I was born and raised in Richmond and I don't have much of any kind of accent. Although, when I did go to college at NC State in Raleigh they told me I had a bit of a northern accent!

Seems the people in NC state have a lot in common with some people in Richmond. If an accent is not decidedly southern, it must be a northern accent. That is nothing but ignorance.

Again, not being rude, but you seem extremely defensive over Richmond and you seem like someone who has lived here their entire life and hasn't traveled very much outside of a few southern states.

And since southerners love civil war history so much, they may want to invest some time in reading about the Revolutionary War and look at the history of the word Yankee. It was being used by the English a good 100 years before the Civil War to describe all Americans and it's used to describe Americans to this day. Go to England and you will be called a yankee or yank. They dont' care if you are from the north or the south. I chuckle that the south uses the word yankee and they have no clue of the history behind the word they are using. History does not begin with the Civil War. You may want to travel back in time 100 years and you'll find a lot of good reading about how these horrible "yankees" defined our country.

How old are you? It just occured to me that you could be a teenager in which case, no offence, but I will not respond to any more posts. It's just a thing I have. I don't speak to anyone online under 18. I prefer to argue points with adults who have a bit more life experience. If I want to argue with a teenager, I can do that in my house, lol.