The Accent Thread

[jenniferuk]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22490560


German dialect in Texas is one of a kind, and dying out

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14 May 2013 Last updated at 20:02 ET Help
The first German settlers arrived in Texas over 150 years ago and successfully passed on their native language throughout the generations - until now.

German was the main language used in schools, churches and businesses around the hill country between Austin and San Antonio. But two world wars and the resulting drop in the standing of German meant that the fifth and sixth generation of immigrants did not pass it on to their children.

Still the biggest ancestry group in the US, according to Census data, a large majority of German-Americans never learned the language of their ancestors.

Hans Boas, a linguistic and German professor at the University of Texas, has made it his mission to record as many speakers of German in the Lone Star State as he can before the last generation of Texas Germans passes away.

Mr Boas has recorded 800 hours of interviews with over 400 German descendants in Texas and archived them at the Texas German Dialect Project. He says the dialect, created from various regional German origins and a mix of English, is one of a kind.

"We have found no two speakers that speak roughly alike," Mr Boas told the BBC at his office in Austin.

The BBC's Franz Strasser went to Weimar, New Braunfels and Austin to find the last speakers of this dialect.

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[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by Dex

I'm a little worried now. Theatre-to-film adaptations are almost always a bit awkward and disappointing. But I don't get to the theatre much these days, so I suppose I can't be too choosy. I think the trailer looks very interesting. Cautiously looking forward to it.

Steel Magnolias was a play before it was a movie, wasn't it? It's one of the most revered films of all time in America.

Originally Posted by jenniferuk

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22490560


German dialect in Texas is one of a kind, and dying out

Cannot play media. You do not have the correct version of the flash player. Download the correct version
14 May 2013 Last updated at 20:02 ET Help
The first German settlers arrived in Texas over 150 years ago and successfully passed on their native language throughout the generations - until now.

German was the main language used in schools, churches and businesses around the hill country between Austin and San Antonio. But two world wars and the resulting drop in the standing of German meant that the fifth and sixth generation of immigrants did not pass it on to their children.

Still the biggest ancestry group in the US, according to Census data, a large majority of German-Americans never learned the language of their ancestors.

Hans Boas, a linguistic and German professor at the University of Texas, has made it his mission to record as many speakers of German in the Lone Star State as he can before the last generation of Texas Germans passes away.

Mr Boas has recorded 800 hours of interviews with over 400 German descendants in Texas and archived them at the Texas German Dialect Project. He says the dialect, created from various regional German origins and a mix of English, is one of a kind.

"We have found no two speakers that speak roughly alike," Mr Boas told the BBC at his office in Austin.

The BBC's Franz Strasser went to Weimar, New Braunfels and Austin to find the last speakers of this dialect.

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The amount of towns here in Central Texas with German names is staggering... there's a tremendous German influence in this part of the world in everything from names, to architecture, and food. I can't say I've ever heard a German-Texan accent, though.

[chiliD]

What I find interesting is that what we think of as the "Southern (US) Accent" didn't evolve until AFTER the Civil War. So, how did "Southerners" talk BEFORE the Civil War? And, what caused the change?


An amusing thing I saw many years ago was a documentary on "the blues". They did an interview with Delta Blues master Mississippi Fred McDowell. He was SPEAKING English...but his Mississippi accent was SO THICK the filmmaker added subtitles anyway! And, the funny thing is, had the subtitles NOT been there, I'm really certain that I wouldn't have known what the hell he was saying!

[GypsySorcerer]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

Steel Magnolias was a play before it was a movie, wasn't it? It's one of the most revered films of all time in America.

Yes. I have seen the stage production a few times, and when it's performed well, I prefer it to the film. That said, I will always love the film,

[Dex]

You know what? I'm a terrible gay and have actually never seen Steel Magnolias.

Brb, off to hang head in shame.

I'm sure I will enjoy it though. I didn't mean that all play-to-film adaptations are bad, really. I think GypsySorcerer's take highlights it for me. I don't think film adaptations can capture the electricity of live performance that made a play popular in the first place, and then they usually aren't given enough of a cinematic re-treatmant to make up for that. There are exceptions, though, of course. And a good story is a good story, no matter the medium it's told in.

I honestly had no idea there was such a strong tie to German culture in parts of Texas! I love this thread. I'm learning loads.

[Macfanforever]

Originally Posted by TerraRhiannon

i was just saying the other day I wished meryl would do another movie as soon as possible. i'm a huge fan.

don't know how I feel about this one, though. just based off the trailer..

I always love her acting.I'm glad she is still producing films.

[Silver23]

I have a mix of a Southern Appalachian English and some aspects of the Tangier/Outer Banks accent.
When I first moved back to E. Tennessee, my patrons accused me of lying to them about not being from England or Sweden due to the Outer Banks portion of my accent.

The thing is, I have no idea where it came from .

[Dex]

Originally Posted by Silver23

I have a mix of a Southern Appalachian English and some aspects of the Tangier/Outer Banks accent.
When I first moved back to E. Tennessee, my patrons accused me of lying to them about not being from England or Sweden due to the Outer Banks portion of my accent.

How... erm... charming of them. How on earth did they decide that Sweden or England were the two only possible origins of your personal accent?

Or perhaps I'm taking the use of "accused" in your statement too seriously.

Sometimes people at work ask me if I'm Irish (I'm Canadian), and when I say I'm not... if someone responded "Liar! Yes you are! That or Icelandic! One of the two, you big lying liar!" I think I might be a bit taken aback.

Thanks for reviving the thread, Silver23. I love this thread.

[KarmaContestant]

I love watching HGTV and DIY, and hearing all of those Canadian home improvement hosts say house like hah-oose. Get ah-oot of my hah-oose.



Realy, I love accents. All of them. I wish I could give the new boy-Siri on my iPhone a bit of a cockney twist.

[Dex]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

I love watching HGTV and DIY, and hearing all of those Canadian home improvement hosts say house like hah-oose. Get ah-oot of my hah-oose.



Realy, I love accents. All of them. I wish I could give the new boy-Siri on my iPhone a bit of a cockney twist.

What on earth...? As a Canadian I have no idea how you could hear hah-oose from us saying "house". If anything I always thought we tended towards shorter syllables than our southern neighbours. I shall have to listen to those programs more carefully to see if I can pick up what you mean.

Can you not change Siri's accent!? That seems criminal. I don't have an iPhone, but I did get hours of enjoyment cycling through all the available accents on my satellite navigation system in my car. Time to write a carefully worded letter to Apple, methinks.

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by Dex

What on earth...? As a Canadian I have no idea how you could hear hah-oose from us saying "house". If anything I always thought we tended towards shorter syllables than our southern neighbours. I shall have to listen to those programs more carefully to see if I can pick up what you mean.

Canadians pronounce certain "ou" words as an "oa" sound.

For instance, an American would prounce the following sentence as:

"I am out and about in the house"

Canadians pronounce it more like:

"I am oat and aboat in the hoase"

Yes, I realize how ridiculous this example is, but it's how Canadians sound to us Americans!

We used to have a video thread here on the board where we all posted videos of ourselves saying hello & sharing a little about ourselves. It was fantastic to see what each other looked, sounded, and acted like. If y'all want to take this thread in that direction, it could be fun!

[Dex]

Aw, I like the idea of a video thread. And I do think these concepts are difficult to convey in text, as we all tend towards our own linguistic biases when we write things out. But I think I can see what you mean, louie.

We tend to think of it as American's typically elongating the "ou" sound. They say, "haowse" and "abaowt" wheras we (in our minds) say "house" and "about". But I'm actually just demonstrating the very same thing with a different linguistic bias.

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by Dex

Can you not change Siri's accent!? That seems criminal. I don't have an iPhone, but I did get hours of enjoyment cycling through all the available accents on my satellite navigation system in my car. Time to write a carefully worded letter to Apple, methinks.

Nope, can't change it. The male option was just introduced with iOS7 last week. He sounds really polite, and like a guy who gets pushed around by his mother.

I'd prefer he sound more like Chris Martin or James Morrison. Or that singer from Vampire Weekend, who has the most peculiar accent when he talks.

[Dex]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

Nope, can't change it. The male option was just introduced with iOS7 last week. He sounds really polite, and like a guy who gets pushed around by his mother.

Sounds pretty much exactly like my type. I need to invest in an iPhone!

[Silver23]

Originally Posted by Dex

How... erm... charming of them. How on earth did they decide that Sweden or England were the two only possible origins of your personal accent?

Or perhaps I'm taking the use of "accused" in your statement too seriously.

Sometimes people at work ask me if I'm Irish (I'm Canadian), and when I say I'm not... if someone responded "Liar! Yes you are! That or Icelandic! One of the two, you big lying liar!" I think I might be a bit taken aback.

Thanks for reviving the thread, Silver23. I love this thread.

It was more of the following:
"Where are you from?"
"Here"
"No you're not! You sound like you're from England, Finland, or Sweden or one of those places abroad."
". . . "
The other few instances people actually ask me where I'm from and tell me I sound English in a conversational manner. The former example was when I was checking out the woman's order. She didn't say it in one of those tones that was offensive. I guess it was in an intonation of curious disbelief.

Accents interest me as well. I hold a BA in Literature and Languages so dialects are right up my alley. Linguistics was one of the hardest, yet one of my favorite classes in college