Tiger Woods accent glottalized??? asian heritage?

mr me   Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:50 pm GMT
Is Tiger Wood's accent quite glottal because of his asian mother???? I've noticed his using a glottal stop.
Kirk   Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:56 pm GMT
Glottal stops are used in all varities of English (tho where they occur depends on dialect).
mr me   Fri Apr 07, 2006 11:05 pm GMT
I guess what I'm hearing is that he speaks from the back of his throat.
Ka'ie Car'er   Sat Apr 08, 2006 8:21 am GMT
Kirk, I've racked my throat trying to detect my glottal stops, so far without success.

Could you give some examples in your variety of English?
Uriel   Sat Apr 08, 2006 11:26 pm GMT
Well, I have them in mountain, fountain, kitten, mitten, button, mutton, carton, smarten, and a host of other words. It's likely that Kirk does, too.
Travis   Sat Apr 08, 2006 11:30 pm GMT
I myself most definitely have them in the aforementioned words and their like as well. Actually, probably the vast majority of North American English-speakers have them in words of that sort.
Uriel   Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:02 am GMT
I've heard Tiger Woods, and he sounds very typically American. There's nothing odd or "Asian" about his accent.
Kirk   Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:09 am GMT
Yes, Tiger Woods' speech doesn't stand out to me for any particular reason. Glottal stops occur in English often before stops such as [t] or [p] or [k]. They can occur at the end of words and before other ones starting with vowels (say "uh-oh" and you'll notice one) and in numerous other positions even if you don't speak a dialect known for glottal stops such as Cockney or Estuary. For example, on an extremely narrow level of transcription something like "mapped" would actually be something like [m{?pt] as most people say it. This is also not mentioning where glottal stops appear in other positions in various dialects of English.
Presley.   Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:48 am GMT
<Well, I have them in mountain, fountain, kitten, mitten, button, mutton, carton, smarten, and a host of other words. It's likely that Kirk does, too.>

Same here. I'm Californian.

It also happens that I am of Japanese descent (second generation), and though I was born and raised in the U.S. and have spoken English since birth, I have a strange "accent", if you will, that I hear in others of Asian descent. I haven't heard Tiger Woods speak, so I wouldn't know if it's the same with him.

My other friends who are Korean, Taiwanese, and Filipino, have similar "accents", when most of us can't speak our parents' languages with as much proficiency as English. I've always thought it strange, but couldn't find an explanation. Until recently, I have limited contact with other Asian Americans, because I lived in a predominantly white/hispanic community, but after meeting with other AA's I have wondered at this phenomenon.

My "accent" is extremely subtle, and is quite difficult to explain. I think I exaggerate many consonants at the ends of words, and those that follow n's. I also tend to exaggerate vowels slightly. The intonation throughtout my sentences might sound slightly off too. I still can't quite put my finger on it.

I don't agree with the connetion between glottal spots and being Asian, though.
Presley.   Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:58 am GMT
<Until recently, I have limited contact with other...>

I meant "I have had".
Uriel   Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:12 am GMT
So, is there a rule for when you glottalize and when you don't?

In mountain, fountain, kitten, mitten, button, mutton, carton, smarten, the link seems to be that all these words end in schwa + N. Similar words do not get glottalized for me; in carton and carting, I say "car'n" for the former but "carding" for the latter. (Change it to cartin', though, and I have to switch to the glottal stop, so that it's identical to my version of carton.)
Presley.   Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:25 am GMT
I have to think because it's almost intuitive...
Presley.   Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:33 am GMT
Well, yes. There definitely is a link to to words having a T, a short I/E sound, and then an N. (T is not a voiced consonant, and N, which is nasal, follows it.)

Same thing with car'n and carding. (Though the D is actually more of a flap of the toungue rather than D.)

As for cartin', I don't say that word period. But it would be glottalized.
Kirk   Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:37 am GMT
<<Same here. I'm Californian.

It also happens that I am of Japanese descent (second generation), and though I was born and raised in the U.S. and have spoken English since birth, I have a strange "accent", if you will, that I hear in others of Asian descent. I haven't heard Tiger Woods speak, so I wouldn't know if it's the same with him.

My other friends who are Korean, Taiwanese, and Filipino, have similar "accents", when most of us can't speak our parents' languages with as much proficiency as English. I've always thought it strange, but couldn't find an explanation. Until recently, I have limited contact with other Asian Americans, because I lived in a predominantly white/hispanic community, but after meeting with other AA's I have wondered at this phenomenon.

My "accent" is extremely subtle, and is quite difficult to explain. I think I exaggerate many consonants at the ends of words, and those that follow n's. I also tend to exaggerate vowels slightly. The intonation throughtout my sentences might sound slightly off too. I still can't quite put my finger on it.>>

You point to an interesting phenomenon, that being substratum language influence upon English. I'm also Californian and there have been a few times I've noticed a subtle hint of substratum influence on native English speakers' speech (still talking about Asian Americans here). I suspect this is due to a historical substratum influence of an Asian language but for the most part native English speakers here (I've lived in San Diego for the past 4 years as I go to UCSD) who are Asian American don't sound any different to me than their counterparts of different ethnicities.
Uriel   Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:37 am GMT
I don't say it either, but I made myself say it, and that's what happened. Not that I often give the final G in -ing words its full value, but the I's don't get schwaed.