CVS in Seattle

Guest   Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:11 pm GMT
I was wondering. Do we have either the Canadian or California vowel shift in Seattle? I can't really hear it--but then I wouldn't be able if I had the shift.
Trawicks   Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:05 pm GMT
Not as much. Seattle appears to have less of this type of phenomenon than other parts of the Pacific Northwest, perhaps because of all the transplants. This chart compares Seattle with Portland and Vancouver (BC):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Pacific_Northwest_English_vowel_space.PNG

As you can see, the shifting of /I/, /E/ and /{/ is more minimal than the other two.
Guest   Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:57 pm GMT
Is it my imagination, or does Seattle actually have a higher than average /æ/?
Guest   Fri Sep 05, 2008 2:35 am GMT
>> perhaps because of all the transplants <<

I doubt that it has to do with the transplants. I remember reading in the Atlas that the Canadian shift affects a small amount of speakers scattered throughout the West. And Seattle definitely doesn't have the California vowel shift, because unlike in California, /u/ is not strongly fronted, etc.