Do Hawaiians have General American accent?

Sparkling   Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:13 am GMT
Do Hawaiians have General American accent or do they have their unique accent like Creole English? (or whatever)

What about the Alaskans?
Guest   Thu Jun 19, 2008 6:21 pm GMT
No. Most Hawaiians I've heard speak (including haoles) have a distinctive accent that sounds like they're non-native English speakers.
vladimir tintor is gay   Wed Jun 25, 2008 5:30 am GMT
-Do Hawaiians have General American accent?-


yup
Guest   Wed Jun 25, 2008 6:02 am GMT
No, most of them do not. Many of the white immigrants there speak the way they did before they went there, but the natives do not speak with a GA accent. They have a strange accent that sounds like nothing from the mainland.
Skippy   Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:38 pm GMT
Most of the younger Hawaiians I've met speak similarly to those in Southern California.
Guest   Fri Jun 27, 2008 1:22 am GMT
I do not know very many Hawaiian natives, but I believe it is subjective based on the particular person. As for Alaska, it seems that most would not sound out of place in California. I once knew an Alaskan that had a few Southern features in his idiolect, but his family originated in eastern Texas.
Skippy   Fri Jun 27, 2008 3:18 am GMT
The governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, speaks with a Canadian or NCVS-influenced dialect, but she's lived in Alaska her whole life. I just assumed they would have a Canadian-sounding accent in Alaska.
Guest   Fri Jul 25, 2008 5:46 am GMT
yes. Hawaiians pronounce words like camera, cockroach, burglar with 3 syllables. Burglar would be prounounced with 3 syllables so it is bur-ga-lur, not with 2 syllables prounounced like burg-lur.
Damian in Edinburgh   Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:42 am GMT
Why does the flag of Hawaii feature that of the British Union?
Northwesterner   Fri Jul 25, 2008 2:45 pm GMT
>> What about the Alaskans? <<

Well, it's certainly very much like General American. Three of my friends are from Alaska, and they sound the same as here as far as I can tell.

>> Why does the flag of Hawaii feature that of the British Union? <<

There are various accounts to how the flag was designed. The Hawaiian flag is a deliberate hybrid of the Union Jack and the American flag, to avoid international conflict during the War of 1812.
George   Fri Jul 25, 2008 4:06 pm GMT
>>There are various accounts to how the flag was designed. The Hawaiian flag is a deliberate hybrid of the Union Jack and the American flag, to avoid international conflict during the War of 1812.<<

I don't think that's it. Britain and Hawai'i have had a fairly long and friendly history. Britain generally supported the Hawai'ian monachy even when Hawai'i was under the protection of Britain. I imagine that status is somehow the origin of the Union Flag in the corner, but Britain has also later recognised its independence (as has the US... What happened there?).
Jasper   Fri Jul 25, 2008 5:18 pm GMT
"Most of the younger Hawaiians I've met speak similarly to those in Southern California." Skippy.

I agree. When I was doing my field studies, one of my subjects was a young Hawaiian native; she spoke General American English with a strong California Vowel Shift.

While admittedly one subject isn't scientific, it at least gives us an idea.
Uriel   Sat Jul 26, 2008 7:58 am GMT
Well, Hawaii was "discovered" by Captain Cook (who was British), and I believe there was some political claim to Hawaii by the crown for awhile. That flag isn't simply some sort of goodwill gesture. ;)
George   Sat Jul 26, 2008 11:49 am GMT
Captain Cook was the first who first recorded the location of the islands and made them more widely known, but it was never really a British possession. I say never really, because I bloke named Paulet took control for a brief period in 1843 in the name of Britain, but this seems to have been done with the consent of his superiors and, after the Hawaiian monarch complained, power was returned. The flag seems to pre-date this event too, being from around 1816, although it was officially adopted later.
Guest   Sat Jul 26, 2008 2:16 pm GMT
-Hawaii was "discovered" by Captain Cook-

He named the islands: Sandwich Islands, lol
a want a cheese one ;)