Wow...That’s One Bad Storm!

[Essjay]

Language evolves, and it evolves differently in different places

I am from the north of England, a county called Lancashire. Until the advent of radio and TV, most regions of England spoke differently from each other. My grandparents spoke Lancashire dialect, my parents spoke it a bit while I know only one or two words. My mother was once told that Lancashire dialect is actually Middle English, and that people who speak Lancashire have no trouble understanding literature from that era. The book Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was quoted as an example of a Middle English book. Literature students need a dictionary to read that; Lancashire dialect speakers don't.

 

[seangee]

Literature students need a dictionary to read that; Lancashire dialect speakers don't.

Oi I resemble that
I read English Lit and middle English was just fine without a dictionary. Old English - now that's a different matter entirely! But it was the post modernist American stuff that really did my head in, couldn't make head nor tail of that - even with a dictionary.

@Deanasue - in England we read our degrees

 

[Essjay]

Mind you, accents are bad enough. When we first moved to the north east I couldn't understand a word the Geordies said, nor our Brummie neighbours. And I had to keep asking my brother-in-law's Kenyan wife to repeat what she said. Very embarrassing. Luckily some part of my brain kicked in after a couple of weeks and I could understand them all perfectly.



For those non-UK members, Geordies come from north east England and Brummies from the midlands, a nickname from the way they pronounce Birmingham.

 

[seangee]

It doesn't take much. The beauty of English is how many people throughout the world we can communicate with. I grew up in South Africa. My very first student job was working in a video shop at nights. The two ladies who worked days were from Glasgow and Belfast (and recently immigrated). For the first few weeks "pardon" was the word I used most. Since then I have no problem with regional accents and often have to act as translator for my wife who was born in Scotland and grew up and went to school in the Midlands.

 

[Essjay]

I should also mention that my husband is Welsh (though he doesn't speak Welsh), and my brother-in-law's current wife is a Welsh speaker from west Wales. Having lived in Cardiff for 6 years, at least I could understand my husband by the time I met him.
And my son tells the tale of the Chinese student in his class at university - he was from Sheffield and had such a broad Yorkshire accent that my son was the only one who could understand him.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Oi I resemble that
I read English Lit and middle English was just fine without a dictionary. Old English - now that's a different matter entirely! But it was the post modernist American stuff that really did my head in, couldn't make head nor tail of that - even with a dictionary.

@Deanasue - in England we read our degrees

Come to Texas for awhile and you’ll really be lost. Just the accents will throw you. “Girrrl, what wuz you thinkin? Don’t know but ya done good.” Lol.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Then there’s my husband’s family from Louisiana.

“Sa vill der dago. Atousin buzzes innarow. Nojo, demsnotbuzzes, demstuks. Summit Kowz n summit duks.”

Translation: “Say Bill, there they go. A thousand busses in a row. No Joe, those aren’t busses, them trucks. Some with cows and some with ducks.”

 

[Essjay]

"ist tha gooin ter't Brid an Babby toneet"

Lancashire for "are you going to the Eagle and Child tonight" (a pub). The first two words should be "ist thou" as Lancashire dialect uses thee, thou, thine etc rather than you and yours.

 

[Back in the fold]

England, to me, is just so cool. The richest history of any land on earth, birthplace of Shakespeare and King Arthur. The greatest Navy ever going way back and an Empire that dwarfed the Romans. My people came from England and Ireland. Rule Brittania !
I told myself I wasn't going to do this but let's talk about Texas. No, I was right the first time. I won't because only two things come from Texas and this is a family forum and I can't say that.

 

[Fishmanic]

England, to me, is just so cool. The richest history of any land on earth, birthplace of Shakespeare and King Arthur. The greatest Navy ever going way back and an Empire that dwarfed the Romans. My people came from England and Ireland. Rule Brittania !
I told myself I wasn't going to do this but let's talk about Texas. No, I was right the first time. I won't because only two things come from Texas and this is a family forum and I can't say that.

The two things are oil and 10 gallon hats!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Here in Kentucky, we have people with awful accents. Kind of like...

“Hey der yung man, hows u doin on dis fined day?”

(That is literally what they sound like, lol!)

 

[Fishmanic]

around here we talk like this....instead of I parked the car in harvard yard...we say .I paaakd the caaa in Haaavaad Yaaad. In New york they pronouce "coffee" like "cooofeee"

 

[Fishmanic]

Before he died, what famous last words did one Montana redneck say to the other redneck?--,
"Hold my beer and watch this!"

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Is that what @Back in the fold ‘s sig. after?

 

[FishGuest5123]

The two things are oil and 10 gallon hats!

The two things are oil and 10 gallon hats!

Oil and the Astros! Go Stros!!!