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November 10, 2005
My Dialect
Question 1
My dialect, according to the Speech Accent Archive with the sound clips, is closest to that of the speaker from Caribou, Maine. (Caribou is way up in northern Maine, close to Canada). As for my parents, my mom grew up in Panama and Texas, while my dad was raised in Virginia. They both have southern accents that have faded over the years so I only notice them sometimes. I spent the first ten years of my life in Southern Massachusetts, and the last nine years in Midcoast Maine.
What's funny about Maine is the range in accents. The woman from Caribou in the clip whom my dialect most resembles sounded slightly Canadian. Other Mainers have a distinct accent, somewhat similar to that of a Bostonian but with more "hick". I don't notice an accent in most people who are from my area, although there are some very strong accents particularly in the more isolated areas (such as on the island where I live), and in the people who have spent their whole lives here. I don't feel like I have a type of accent, besides general American, but I'm sure people from other parts of the country would disagree! It's interesting because my aunt who lives in Colorado told me that I sound Canadian.
Question 2
I witness someone altering her dialect (based on whom she is talking to) on a regular basis. Let me tell you a little something about my mom...she will pick up the phone and say "hello" in a voice that sounds normal to me, and as soon as she finds out that it's one of the relatives from the South, she starts talking like she never left Texas. It's the weirdest thing. Especially with her inlaws; I hardly recognize her voice. I don't think she does it on purpose, but I can't help but giggle when it happens. Even her laugh sounds different when she has that twang. My dad doesn't do the same, even though he grew up in Virginia. According to my friends, he has an accent by I don't notice it often. These kinds of things are interesting to think about.
Posted by lcishagan at November 10, 2005 10:07 PM
Comments
Ariel-- I really liked your blog. My cousin's boyfriend is from Maine and I don't notice any accent with his speech. (Although, it is stereotypical that most people from Maine have, as you put it, a "hick" accent.) What I do notice is that he uses a different vocabulary. He always uses the word "rig". "Rig" can mean anything, a salt shaker, a pen, a cat, a car. It's really interesting...
Posted by: Brenna at November 10, 2005 11:16 PM