Mitchif vs. French vs. English

[Nadja Adolf]

Hold on their, Hoss. First, the PNW coastal speech *isn't* broadcast English
- there are subtle but meaningful differences in the handling of some
vowels, some consonant emphases (?), and some dipthongs.

As one moves east from the coast - say to Lynden, WA at the north, and
starting East of the Cascades in Oregon, one comes into a prarie twang
region - and Lynden isn't that far from the coast at all.

North-wet? Not where I was born! High desert!

> >around folks from south western Texas, I came home with a Texas twang
> >that *still* creeps into my speech from time to time and it's been 18
> >years.  And, if I'm around *any* one with the slightest accent, I pick it
> >up *that* fast.  I've heard it said that this is common because folks in
> >the NW US speak Broadcast English.
>
> local place names as the locals do.  They could follow my speech just
> fine (as we are blessed with "broadcast English"), but mangling a
> familiar local place-name would often cause momentary consternation,
> if not confusion.  (Or occasionally derision, as in the case of the
> newcomer who pronounces "Worcester" in full.)
>
> I suspect that a southern accent is more quickly "contagious" because
> it also has a distinctive (and seductive) rhythm.
>
> (Is "North-wet" a typo or a pun?  I love it.  Yes, we probably need
> gills here.)
>
> Regards,
>
> Jeff