Origins of the American accent?.....

[Fozzer]

Fozzer,did you happen to walk by Canada after the potato famine?

Na, Jet...

I didn't go that far North...

....I was too busy fighting off the Red Indians on the westward Gold Rush trip across to to California!... ..!

Paul...With fond memories of 1840...and gold nuggets!... ...!

[Jean Loup]

I entered "Origins of the American accent?" because I am genuinely interested in that topic: but it became "who decided that the natural "American language" in the whole of North America would be based on the "English" language".

Going back to the ORiGiNAL TOPiC (Origins of the American accent?), this mexican (me) when driving into the USA at Tijuana, using the "American Citizen" routine, previously filled my mouth with CHEWiNG GUM, to have a genuine American Accent at Migration. Never failed!

So, that's proof of Chewing Gum being the origin of the American accent!

[BLAZE]

So, that's proof of Chewing Gum being the origin of the American accent!

Heay.. What are you trying to say Jean?!

[Jean Loup]

[quote]... I also heard about the southern US's "southern draw" came from are british brothers

That would explain why the british are so good at playing a yank in the movies
especially a southern yank, and it's so hard for us to do a british accent (Well!)

[H]

I suppose that New England would more represent the accent from the homeland?

This depends upon specifics, particularly family individuals, since we are generations from your crown realm and, aside from most of our revolutionary founders, the greater number were not the more educated; the native population and, particularly, non-Anglo immigrants (still swarming in, legally or not) have/are affecting the linguistic mix. For a long while, Bostonians were considered, pronunciation-wise, closer to the original homeland. Personally, I pronounce "half" or "halve" as if I'm going to pronounce the "l" but do not; my cousins, and most others now, not only don't pronounce the "l" but pronunce with a short "a" (as in cat).

[quote]...a Southern Yank?

[BLAZE]

I heard of  Northern Yanks, and of Southern Confederates...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe we are all yanks to the british,
north or south U.S.

[BLAZE]

( H wrote )
" and it's best not to call Southerners "Southern Yanks" -- you may get a change of accent you, in no way, want. "


Copy that 'H'!

[Steve M]

If I am in southern Ontario no one notices my accent anymore because I've been here for a long time. But if I go back to Chicago they think I have a northern accent until I'm there for a week. When I've been to Kansas where most of my relatives are I pick up on and start the midwestern drawl after several days. I can't help it, it just happens...

[H]

If I am in southern Ontario no one notices my accent anymore because I've been here for a long time. But if I go back to Chicago they think I have a northern accent until I'm there for a week. When I've been to Kansas where most of my relatives are I pick up on and start the midwestern drawl after several days. I can't help it, it just happens...

After a year at Biloxi, although rarely venturing off base, I took leave time back to New Hampshire and my sister commented on my southern accent...

8-)