Uptalking / Like / American dialects

greg   Thu Jul 28, 2005 5:10 pm GMT
Fr <genre> [ZÃR] = An <gender>.
Adam   Fri Jul 29, 2005 12:47 am GMT
Why does Greg keep talking in French, when the rest of the conversation is in English? It isn't very polite.
Courtney   Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:41 pm GMT
Uptalking is very prominent in my area of Northern California (the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area). When I visit my children's elementary school, I notice as many boys talking with HRT as girls. Sadly, in the case of my office mate, it has most definitely crossed the "generation divide". She's 28. I can barely stand listening to her because she cannot talk without uptalking. Also, about 10 years ago, I had a male employee, originally from the south, about 25 years of age, who uptalked. I think it is becoming more and more prominent. Fortunately, most of my friends (age 35 - 50) do not uptalk. But, my theory is that HRT is contagious. If someone in a group starts talking that way, I believe that others will start talking that way, too, unconsciously. Have you ever noticed that accents are contagious, too? I know that when I travel to Minnesota (where I spent much time with relatives as a child but where I never resided), within a few hours, my own speech starts featuring "dontchas" "you bet" and vowel shifts. At least I like the Minnesota accent! I hope someone will be able to free us from the torture of uptalking. I am trying to break my 8 year old daughter of the habit now.
Lo   Fri Dec 07, 2007 7:04 pm GMT
I say like all the time, in all of its forms "to be like" and simply "like," can't help doing it.
And I do have a bit of uprising, especially when I'm saying something and I'm not quite done saying it. Example, "my boss said I should work harder - but I think I'm gonna quit." The "my boss said I should work harder" part sounds like a question, just to kind of make sure the listener is paying attention to what I'm saying.
Inga   Fri Dec 07, 2007 10:26 pm GMT
>Does uptalking occur in other languages? And are there equivalents for the filler "like"?

The Swedish equivalent for "like" would be typ or ba'. Typ means sort/type/kind and ba' is a short form for bara which means just/only.

"I was like, 'hi!'" translates into "Jag ba': Hej!" (with the correct use of marks too)

"I like went there." translates into "Jag gick typ dit."

We have some kind of uptalking in dialects talked in some of the southern landscapes.