Could our regional accents be disappearing?

[Tricia]

A study from Georgia tracking the southern drawl, y'all, says that accents, dialects and the like are disappearing as more of us are moving around the country.

Lets face it, even @Philpug and I have lost some of our unique accents from his Philly guy uniqueness to my norhtern Michigan dialect, eh?

Most notably, while we were visiting the UP of Michihgan and spent time with @Justin Koski and his family, it was clear that their parents have a much deeper northern Michigan accent than they do, and their children have even less of an accent, dontcha know.

So, here is just one of the stories about this topic.

 

[fatbob]

Well the American West beyond cowboy country has already proven that to some extent. High migration both domestic and international has made accents along the West coast barely disinguishable at least to my ear. OK you get stuff like "valley girl" vocal fry etc and vocab stylings.

The more kids are exposed to the same stuff on youtube/tiktok etc the more they are likely to homogenise. The more time they spend in more isloated tribes the longer local accents will persist. I definitely miss some of the distinction here as people move around more . I was born and raised somewhere where accents could be very different within 10 miles my football team was Liverpool, my rugby Wigan, Very very different accents almost not of the same planet.

 

[tromano]

Interesting. I had heard just a few years ago that no one was moving. Maybe that changed recently?

The Typical American Lives Only 18 Miles From Mom (Published 2015)

The popular perception of Americans is that they are independent and rootless, but the reality is that people tend not to move very far from their parents.

www.nytimes.com

 

[cantunamunch]

Interesting. I had heard just a few years ago that no one was moving. Maybe that changed recently?

Alternatively, USAian accents are a lot less embedded, and significantly less robust, than regionalisms with high population density such as @fatbob cites. So that only the few that do move (combined with TV and Internet exposure) are enough to endanger the accent. Because the accents and dialects simply don't have as many speakers.

If this alternative is correct, NY accent and dialect (notice 8 mile average on the map you cite) will be significantly more robust per arriving migrant than Rockies/West Coast accent and dialect. I do observe that it's easy to find Transantlantic and RP characteristics in LA, for example.

 

[Shawn]

I was raised to speak without the local Scranton accent. "I seen ayggs on sale at da ack-a-mee" would have gotten me a swift correction.

 

[scott43]

I seem to regress to my hillbilly accent when I'm with other hillbillies. But many years in university and with in the big city has mostly corrected that.. is corrected the right word?? Hmmm..

 

[Philpug]

Lets face it, even @Philpug and I have lost some of our unique accents from his Philly guy uniqueness to my norhtern Michigan dialect, eh?

Not shoe-ah what youz are sayin', I still tawk fine.

For me, I don't care how youz say it but itz soda ... not "pop".

 

[Bad Bob]

Noticing fewer people using regional colloquialisms as well. The smaller and more isolated the community the more you hear them, but even there you don't hear them as much. "By darn!"

 

[Dave Marshak]

I lived all over the US as a kid and I can pick up any accent pretty quickly. I’ve lived in Upstate NY for 50 years but I’m still leaning into my Lawn Guyland accent just because I can.

dm

 

[scott43]

For me, I don't care how youz say it but itz soda ... not "pop".

Ingrate... get back to the chesterfield!!

 

[cantunamunch]

I seem to regress to my hillbilly accent when I'm with other hillbillies. But many years in university and with in the big city has mostly corrected that.. is corrected the right word?? Hmmm..

Mine is still ... topical. Can't talk about fish, boats or stills without everyone knowing within 20km (and which generation I am because the words have changed since).

 

[scott43]

Mine is still ... topical. Can't talk about fish, boats or stills without everyone knowing within 20km (and which generation I am because the words have changed since).

You're the immigrant island. Italians here speak dialects that don't even exist in Italy anymore.. molisano for instance..

 

[scott43]

I lived all over the US as a kid and I can pick up any accent pretty quickly. I’ve lived in Upstate NY for 50 years but I’m still leaning into my Lawn Guyland accent just because I can.

dm

 

[Shawn]

You're the immigrant island. Italians here speak dialects that don't even exist in Italy anymore.. molisano for instance..

 

[Philpug]

And it's managot not manicotti.

 

[cantunamunch]

You're the immigrant island.

My broader point is that we're all on islands, some defined more by age and early life interests than by current geography. You don't notice ... until you do.

 

[Tricia]

Not shoe-ah what youz are sayin', I still tawk fine.

For me, I don't care how youz say it but itz soda ... not "pop".

Photographic evidence to back me up.

And this was one well marked POP machine!

 

[scott43]

You say soda in Canada and you might get bushwhacked...

 

[Shawn]

"Soda," I get. "Pop," sure. Calling every soft drink "Coke?" That's a regional difference too far.

 

[Philpug]

Photographic evidence to back me up.

View attachment 212407 View attachment 212408

And this was one well marked POP machine!
View attachment 212409 View attachment 212410 View attachment 212411

Reason no. 3485 that Aliens still fly past us.

Note, they are all hand made signs.