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Do people who move different places in adulthood pick up accents, or do they tend
to keep their original accents?
When we talk about things like a "Chicago accent"--does this still have that much
meaning?
If, let's say 50% or more of people in an area don't have the predominant accent,
is the predominant accent still considered to be "the" (for instance, Chicago) accent?
Are American accents became more normalized, or more different?
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I'd say that adults who move around do pick up bits of different accents. I'd say
that usually they'd mostly keep their original accent but it would get a bit mixed
in with the other one. Some would pick them up easier than others. I lived in Vancouver
for two and a half years but I kept my Aussie accent however it did get a bit Canadianised
according to my dad.
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I read an article somewhere that a persons accent can change slightly depnding on
wherehey are or who they're with. Like say if a person has a dad in North Carolina
and a Mother in say New York and they go to school in new york they talk more like
those people to suit your friends and family there and when in Carolina more like
the peole down there.
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My brother caught me saying "pen" like "pin" as people in Kansas do and I was completely
unconscious of doing so. I probably pronounced the word in between the way that
people in Michigan and people in Kansas pronounce it, and it sounded like "pin" to
my brother who has been in the northern US all his life.
Basically, this is what happens when you move around as an adult. You retain most
of the features of your native accent, but adopt some of the ones of the locals.
I still don't sound like I'm from Kansas to natives, but I sound a little bit different
from the average Michigander as well.
Of course, this process is hastened if you actively try to cultivate the accent of
the place you move to, such as Madonna is currently doing by living in the UK.
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Good question - My parents moved from the West(Utah and California) to Boston in
the 50's. They never picked up a Boston or even New England accent, and neither
did I as I was growing up. So, I don't think people pick up accents as adults, though
their accents may moderate. I can usually pick out someone from northern New England
in a few seconds, and even place them in a region(Maine vs. NH vs. MA). Also, I
moved to southern California 15 years ago and no one has commented that I've picked
up any Val-speak.
My opinion is that accents are strongly related to both ethnic heritage and socioeconomic
status. I grew up in a relatively exclusive suburb of Boston with a high median
family income, and noticed that the accent is weaker there than in the lower income
surrounding towns both closer to the city and farther away. It also seems stronger
amongst Irish Americans and Italian Americans, but likely becasue their families
have been in the country longer.
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I was under the impression that a majority of the white people in New England are
the descendents of the Puritans/Pilgrims.
I realise that there have been a lot of migrations from everywhere round the world
to America, but for some reason, I was under the impression that the people outside
of the big cities in New England were all pretty much descendents of the Puritans/Pilgrims.
Am I wrong? If so, what are the majority of the white people in New England? Irish,
Italian, other?
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I wouldn't know about the New England area, But my family's Irish and German haven't
been in this country that long at all. But the ones born here seem to have a pretty
regional Pittsburgh accent. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with how long the
families been here but more the individual person.
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Hmm...I've moved around quite a lot- from Germany to Scotland to England to California.
Up till my residence in England, my brain was young and flexible and picked up new
accents easily. I came to California after I turned twelve and by that time, my brain
had already become a little harder so my accent is still predominantly southern English
(i.e. south of England), though there is a touch of Californian English.
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