Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

[Digger]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

My family (Mom's) is from Boone County, WV, and my Dad's if from Perry County, KY. Having traveled all over the United States and abroad, I am amazed at the variations of dialect. My wife is orignally from New York city, and then later moved to South Eastern Massachusetts where she has lived until our marriage. She was of the mind that there was only one Southern accent, and was amazed when I could generally tell someone's place of origin by nuances and expressions. My favorite story is of my Mom at the local grocery store. They still bring the sacks of groceries to your car. The fella asked my mom whichin? To which my Mom replied...which end of what? (She lost here hillbilly translator over the years). The fella slowly says to her (with a look of exasperation) What...are...ya...in? Meaning which car was her's.

[Dave Gaddy]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

[QUOTE=rebelyell62;67848]Nearly all of my people hail from S.C. Kentucky (Lincoln County)


Pee Pyyyy ,peek a boo.


That brings back memories to a "lower NC Piedmont/mountain-educated" Tar Heel, and I often wondered about the expression, for that's the way I always heard it. But I finally decided that (like "chester drawers" being "chest OF drawers") what was intended was "peep eye"--just slide the final "p" back to the left a notch!
Tom Wicker's novel about 2nd Manassas, "Unto this Hour," does a good job on dialect: e.g., "fard." Meaning? "He stuck his haird up an' Ah fard at it."

[Rev]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Based upon an event from this weekend past:

Please, please don't attempt to do a first person Southron dialect if you have a Down East accent. It just won't fly and you will send anyone within earshot into either a laughing or caniption fit.

[Vicksburg Dave]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

I read a Yank diary in an arhive a few years ago where he mocked members of "Stewit's Ko" (CS) for their speech.


(Stewart's Corps)

[tenfed1861]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

A good book to read to learn some good Appalachian speech pattern is "Tales of a Ridgerunner".I don't remember the auther,but it is good to hear speech pattern of NE TN/SE KY in the turn-of-the-century period.And it's a good read all around.

[Army30th]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

IMHO, anyone who tries to attempt to "affect" a Southern dialect is probably not going to do it very well, or at the very worst end up sounding like Larry the "you know who", without some vocal coaching from someone who was raised in the South. I live in NJ and still speak with a Southern NC accent. I get laughed at all the time. I guess I'll never be Jer-zee, thank God!

The honest to God only way to learn it, is to live there and hear it. And really listen. It's a beautiful sound.

[Rev]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

True, William. The various Southern dialects are much more that a drawl with a few 'odd' words thrown in. Regional dialect, be it Southern or not, is more a complex tapestry composed of diction, enunciation, cadence, and other factors than a mere 'accent'. We Southrons can almost always spot someone mimicking a Southern dialect, even when well trained. There are a very few top rank actors that can pull it off. There are a few that can, such as Jean Smart. But, one reason they are able to do it is that they are working a script. They are not speaking stream of conscious.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Well, I'll just toss this out. I'm from Ohio, with West Virginia parents. Always lived in those two states, except for teenage years in Massachusetts.

Last December, I was at Fort Gaines Alabama for a Christmas event, and was portraying a local carpenter preparing to build winter quarters at the fort. It was the first time I'd even been to Alabama.

A reenactor who really was a long-time Mobile-area resident talked to me quite a bit over the weekend, and when he asked where I was from, I told him in first person that I was born and raised in Mobile. He played along, or so I thought, but at the end of the weekend, when I talked to him out of character, he was shocked. He said, "I knew somebody was coming from Ohio and was going to be in first person all weekend, but I didn't know it was you." I think he was kinda disappointed the fort hadn't actually hired me to start reconstructing the old winter quarters.

I don't know if he was just being nice, but it sure seemed like he was serious. I wasn't actually trying to "speak with an accent," just trying to adapt to fit in with those around me. If indeed I unintentionally fooled him, I'm wondering if people don't pay that much attention to accents as long as they're kinda close, and pick up more on the whole package: natural tone of voice, mannerisms, confidence, consistency, etc.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Spinster]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Hank,

Pa wasn't woofing you, and he is always 'nice'--but your experiences of a southern accent does not have all the infinite variety at your disposal.

The backbayou, non-Cajun, coastal areas, do have sub-accents not unlike your own. Traveling east and upriver from Mobile, and sticking to the lower classes of a generation ago.......yep there you are.

My own normal accent is definitely educated southron mountain--I did not acquire the Upper Class, Lower Alabama accent until I was in college, and it was taught just as certainly as English and Chemistry.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Hallo!

Are we "judging" the quality or effectiveness of our impressions based upon 20th/21st Century regional affectations/ accents, or 19th Century?

Curt

[Hank Trent]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Are we "judging" the quality or effectiveness of our impressions based upon 20th/21st Century regional affectations/ accents, or 19th Century?

Ironically, it can come full circle. From worst to best:

1) One's natural accent when it's obviously out of place for the portrayal

2) Adopting a sorta kinda okay accent that sounds believable in context

3) Theoretically perfect period accent--which ironically might sometimes sound hokey to modern ears.

I'd still say the goal is number three, but one had better make darn sure it sounds hokey because it is accurate and a real soldier from the period would have spoken that way, not because it really is hokey. As someone said, "Doing first person isn't a license to say 'tarnation.'" :)

However, I'd also suggest that as an easier intermediate goal, the second is better than the first.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Mountain_Guerrilla]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Curt

Interesting map / & thread.

Looking at the map I can see where my own people (after traveling here from Scotland & Ireland etc) followed primarily the "South Midland" route from SW Virginia & NW North Carolina, passing thru for a time in Central/Eastern Kentucky & East Tennessee into SE /SW Missouri but then my grandparents taking a turn northwards to western Washington state.

All the family (including myself) have grown up with that "South Missouri drawl", and though I was born in the Pacific NW have people all the time ask me if I am from the Midwest or South. :wink_smil

Rather than try to "put anything on" I just talk in my normal style, which includes a number of the words/phrases mentioned, probably because this is what I grew up hearing family speak. I have to admit though that if I get around someone who is from the region, or speaks in a "Southern" dialect that my own dialect tends to come out stronger. This is not a conscious effort on my part.

[Florida Rifle]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Many people think of Appalachia as a rather small area, but it extends over a great deal of territory; from Georgia up through southern Pennsylvania and Ohio, and at least west to the Mississippi River, if not beyond.

A bit of info most people don't know is that north Florida south to about Ocala/Orlando area speak with a strong southern accent. Its not all beaches and tourist in Florida.

Obeident servant,
Nathan Porter a.k.a Florida redneck

[tigerstripe37]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

I have always wondered why people who live in my area often times have trouble understanding my speech patterns but according to Mr. Hadley's diagram breakdown my part of SWVA is right on the border of southern to southern midland so that may go a long way in regards to the explanation. I utilize many of the speech substitutes that yaw alude to but generally only in comfortable company i.e. neighbors and the like. Learn something new everyday. Thanks for the diagram Mr. Hadley.

Sincerely,
Brenton D. Boone

[tomarch]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

I think the map may not tell the whole tale. Most of you folks are "back in the states" as they used to say in the Gold Rush. Out here in Calif. there is a whole region in the San Joaquin Valley made up of decendents of Dust Bowl refugees. As a result, you could mistake Bakersfields for Tulsa.:D

I spent near about twelve year livin' in Crawford Co., Arkansas and spent several more in E. Tenn and Ga.so I thought I could spot where an accent was from. I was talking to a renactor friend here in Santa Barbara and commented on what I thought was his Tennessee accent. He replyed "I wasn't born in Tennessee, I was born up in San Luis Obispo Co.!":o