Saturday, March 30, 2013

Why I Talk the Way I Do

Because I was born in Philadelphia, that's why.

Here a short radio piece about Philadelphia's unique sounds and how they are changing.

4 comments:

Takis Konstantopoulos said...

Interesting. But this is happening with most languages, dialects, etc. A couple of examples: when I first heard Atiyah speak I thought I was listening to a British reporter from WWII. Second example: in Swedish, at some point, the sound "sh" shifted to something that is more like and "h", written as /ɧ/ in the IPA, and, nowadays, pronouncing "choklad" (chocolate) with "sh" is considered something old ladies do; people replace "sh" with a mere "h".

Joe Felsenstein said...

As another Philadelfyun, I am intrigued by how few people elsewhere know what a Philadelphyuh accent sounds like. In the Rocky movies they apparently used New York or northern New Jersey accents for what were supposed to be Philadelphyuns. They knew it was supposed to be strong but they had no clue.

There are web sites that can test your accent (by making you choose which words sound alike). Here is one. After over 50 years since I last lived in Philadelphia, it nailed my accent as a Philadelpfyuh accent.

Jeffrey Shallit said...

True story: I was walking down the street in Chicago about 30 years ago, and a car pulled up. The window rolled down, and the driver asked, "Can you tell me how to get to...". After I uttered one sentence -- something like "You go down one block and turn right" -- he looked at me and said, "You're from Philadelphia." I said, "Yes, how did you know?" He replied, "Well, I'm a linguist."

Joe Felsenstein said...

(Actchewlly I misspelled my comment. Here it is corrected):

As anuther Philadelfyun, I am intrigued by haow fyew people elseware know whut a Philadelphyuh accent saounds like. In the Rocky movies they appaerently used New Yawrk or northern New Jursey accents for what were suppowesed to be Philadelphyuns. They knew it was suppowesed to be strawng but they had no clue.

There are web sites that can test your accent (by making you choose which wurds sound alike). Here is one. After over 50 years since I laest lived in Philadelphyuh, it nailed my accent as a Philadelpfyuh accent.

(I am willing to be cawrected as it has been a few years).