Languages and Accents

[Greendruid]

I was inspired by The Drunk Guy's post in another thread and thought it more appropriate to create a new one here. It has no real purpose other than to expose us all to the variations in the wonderful and weird accents of any language that we wish to discuss. Since examples of these things are now readily available on YouTube and other such sites, I can spend hours listening to the variations in the accents of English, not to mention other languages.

My accent isn't southern. We truly sound like a cross between a country accent and an Irish accent. We don't have that slow, southern cadence. Rather, we speak quick, choppy words that sound foreign to people not from here.

I used to be self-conscious about my accent, but I've come to like it and appreciate it. It is true that scholars consider it the closest living example of Olde English in the world, but I also love that even the most ignorant, backwoods folk have a broader vocabulary than the average American. Add to that the pacing and odd emphasis and you have an exotic sound that is complex and challenging.

I'd think the Brahmin dialect of Boston

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfR4DLXYpCw

or the Tangier Islanders off Virginia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIZgw09CG9E

would be closer to what you call "Olde English". No one really knows what Old English would have sounded like so I assume your meaning to be that of the Modern English brought to the Americas in the 1600s.

But of course, near and dear to me 'eart are da Newfinlanders up da ways from us 'ere on Ca'Breton:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I70kiCR_Pio&feature=related

None of us sound anyt'in' like dat here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_eKoUcn7Os&feature=related

I apologise for the nature of this last video. You can stop it early on to catch a glimpse of the accent (which I can guarantee to be genuine) or you can listened to teh entire crank phone call and wonder the entire 7 minutes why the recipient of the call didn't hang up sooner. My guess is that he had nothing better to do and, typically, didn't want to risk being rude.

[Michael]

But of course, near and dear to me 'eart are da Newfinlanders up da ways from us 'ere on Ca'Breton:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I70kiCR_Pio&feature=related

I'm picking up a faint Quebecois accent buried in with usual Newfie accent in this clip. Mostly the dark haired man (who looks like he might have some native blood).

Gotta love YouTube... it is normally impossible to discuss accents on forums!!! :lol:

If anyone wants to know a Toronto accent, just listen to most US national network news anchors. ;)

[The Drunk Guy]

The accent I was referring to is not on youtube. It's dying out. I hear it regularly because I work with old folks on their way out. Their generation will be the last with our traditional dialect.

This is the more prevalent, bastardized version. The toothless guy is the closest to traditional.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wroj0FLvzs

I would say excuse the content, but it is the honest-to-YaHWeH opinion of far too many people.

[Dominick]

These are some local celebrities that count to 60 in West-Flemish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGguVGmD3V4&feature=related

Flanders has many dialects and there are cases where they are mutually unintelligible with a separation of 10 miles or even less. West-Flemish is notorious for being unintelligible to anyone outside of the province.

Here's another example; the co-pilot of a (not so good) rallye driver speaks as unartificial as it gets in the heat of the moment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ziEkt3o5I4

I'm still looking for some English spoken in this dialect which would be more useful for you guys.

[Dominick]

And this is 'proper' Flemish by a news anchor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG_kOJTKtG8

Compare with 'proper' Dutch from a news anchor in Holland.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBi-JMlnLow

[Americano]

The accent I was referring to is not on youtube. It's dying out. I hear it regularly because I work with old folks on their way out. Their generation will be the last with our traditional dialect.

This is the more prevalent, bastardized version. The toothless guy is the closest to traditional.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wroj0FLvzs

I would say excuse the content, but it is the honest-to-YaHWeH opinion of far too many people.

Viewing that video reminded me of why I attempt to dissociate myself from the masses.

[The Drunk Guy]

Viewing that video reminded me of why I attempt to dissociate myself from the masses.
Haha....I have felt that myself innumerable times. I just take it with a grain of salt now. You can't blame the people. It's not their fault that our society has forced them to be ignorant pawns. Rather, it's our financial overlords and their mouthpieces who have committed these atrocities on intellect.

[partofme]

Haha....I have felt that myself innumerable times. I just take it with a grain of salt now. You can't blame the people. It's not their fault that our society has forced them to be ignorant pawns. Rather, it's our financial overlords and their mouthpieces who have committed these atrocities on intellect.

I disagree. Publications on all sort of subjects are more widely available for free than ever. If I wanted to learn about something twenty years ago I would have had to go to Murray's library which sucks or travel 50 miles to the one in Paducah which is better. That or I would have to go to a book store and still likely have to order what I needed and wait for it. Now most people have access to the internet and can find a wealth of information online or can go to Amazon.com and order a book on just about any subject they wish. People just do not care and have no interest. There is no shortage of individuals, institutions, and programs that try to go out of their way to promote or encourage education and thought.

[The Drunk Guy]

I disagree. Publications on all sort of subjects are more widely available for free than ever. If I wanted to learn about something twenty years ago I would have had to go to Murray's library which sucks or travel 50 miles to the one in Paducah which is better. That or I would have to go to a book store and still likely have to order what I needed and wait for it. Now most people have access to the internet and can find a wealth of information online or can go to Amazon.com and order a book on just about any subject they wish. People just do not care and have no interest. There is no shortage of individuals, institutions, and programs that try to go out of their way to promote or encourage education and thought.
Ease of access and encouraging use are two totally different animals. The busiest bookstores have more DVDs and CDs than books. Libraries have novels stacked to the ceiling, but finding a book of philosophy is damned near impossible. And the internet, which has more information than one person could access in their lifetime, has even more assinine and useless forms of entertainment, such as MySpace and Facebook.

People don't care because their decision-making skills have been limited to choose what to buy, not how to be socially responsible. Sure, they could dig through the channels and find an informative news source, but why go to that trouble when a better funded, lizard-brain show is on FoxNews? The banks and corporations want us to be stupid so they can keep selling us debt and telling us what is best for us and our children. Rather than hiding information, they use flash and flare to distract us from the truth.

[partofme]

Ease of access and encouraging use are two totally different animals. The busiest bookstores have more DVDs and CDs than books. Libraries have novels stacked to the ceiling, but finding a book of philosophy is damned near impossible. And the internet, which has more information than one person could access in their lifetime, has even more assinine and useless forms of entertainment, such as MySpace and Facebook.

People don't care because their decision-making skills have been limited to choose what to buy, not how to be socially responsible. Sure, they could dig through the channels and find an informative news source, but why go to that trouble when a better funded, lizard-brain show is on FoxNews? The banks and corporations want us to be stupid so they can keep selling us debt and telling us what is best for us and our children. Rather than hiding information, they use flash and flare to distract us from the truth.

I think much of what you speak of is due to what there is a demand for from the public. If there was a bigger demand for books than cds and dvds then those stores would give them more space. Libraries do not carry more novels because that is what people that visit them request and is what is more likely to bring them back and get them to read. If there was a high demand for information then the market would provide it. That just isn't the case. I don't think it has as much to do with some conspiracy to keep people dumb as much as it has to do with human nature and what people want.

[Americano]

I think much of what you speak of is due to what there is a demand for from the public. If there was a bigger demand for books than cds and dvds then those stores would give them more space. Libraries do not carry more novels because that is what people that visit them request and is what is more likely to bring them back and get them to read. If there was a high demand for information then the market would provide it. That just isn't the case. I don't think it has as much to do with some conspiracy to keep people dumb as much as it has to do with human nature and what people want.

I agree with that. Some people have no desire for self-improvement. As the saying goes, happy as pigs in shit.

[The Drunk Guy]

I think much of what you speak of is due to what there is a demand for from the public. If there was a bigger demand for books than cds and dvds then those stores would give them more space. Libraries do not carry more novels because that is what people that visit them request and is what is more likely to bring them back and get them to read. If there was a high demand for information then the market would provide it. That just isn't the case. I don't think it has as much to do with some conspiracy to keep people dumb as much as it has to do with human nature and what people want.
How do people learn what they want? Human nature isn't movies and video games. We are told to want these things because its "American" and "normal." Whether its an active conspiracy or an indirect consequence of industrialization, it's the same outcome. People are taught to be ignorant.

[Americano]

How do people learn what they want? Human nature isn't movies and video games. We are told to want these things because its "American" and "normal." Whether its an active conspiracy or an indirect consequence of industrialization, it's the same outcome. People are taught to be ignorant.

I don't think people have to be taught to remain ignorant.

[partofme]

I don't think people have to be taught to remain ignorant.

I'm with you on that one. If anything people have a huge incentive to learn things. People are put in school as young children and encouraged to learn until early adulthood. Even so it is strongly resisted by many and even the ones that do put forth the effort usually do so because they are pushed by parents and expectations.

[The Drunk Guy]

I'm with you on that one. If anything people have a huge incentive to learn things. People are put in school as young children and encouraged to learn until early adulthood. Even so it is strongly resisted by many and even the ones that do put forth the effort usually do so because they are pushed by parents and expectations.
School doesn't encourage people to learn. How many kids have you met are excited or happy about school? The structure of worksheets, punishment and classification stifles the urge to learn. Why go sit in a boring class when TRL is on?

People can be lazy, but if they were as lazy as you say, we would have not developed technology this rapidly.

[partofme]

School doesn't encourage people to learn. How many kids have you met are excited or happy about school? The structure of worksheets, punishment and classification stifles the urge to learn. Why go sit in a boring class when TRL is on?

People can be lazy, but if they were as lazy as you say, we would have not developed technology this rapidly.

Technology comes from a tiny fraction of the population and when you look at how long our species has been on this planet it really hasn't been all that fast. There are those with a thirst for knowledge but that would be a small minority. So do you think that without school it would be better and people would be more motivated to learn? I think that is highly unlikely. While a formal education may turn some kids off I think that overall it does more good than harm although it could always do better of course.

[Americano]

Technology comes from a tiny fraction of the population and when you look at how long our species has been on this planet it really hasn't been all that fast. There are those with a thirst for knowledge but that would be a small minority. So do you think that without school it would be better and people would be more motivated to learn? I think that is highly unlikely. While a formal education may turn some kids off I think that overall it does more good than harm although it could always do better of course.

There are those who do desire higher education, for whatever purpose, and those who don't. We can spend countless hours on discussing the formative years, motivation and societal demographics but I firmly believe the majority of people who truly seek quality higher education for a career more than a job are in a minority. In the US we're now catering to all children without regard to the fact some are brighter than others and dragging our educational system into the realm of mediocrity.