Long Island help wanted

[AAllan at AOL.COM]

Here's an inquiry. If you can help, please reply to Mr. Nelles as well as the
list. - Allan Metcalf

   I'm working on a film which takes place in Long Island. Now looking at the
map I see that this is indeed a very large island, and based on the articels
you sent me regarding Brooklyn accents and their movement eastward, it gets
rather complicated. Our director has asked that the actors I'm working with
not have the 'whiny LawnG Ailend' sound (she says it'll drive her crazy) so I
thought perhaps something more to the east in the Hamptons. Can you give me
any clues what this may sound like? I see the word Brahmin come up a lot in
the articles, which I associate with upper class Boston. Is that the same
sound? Which then leads me to wonder if the hard 'g' Long Island is more in
the Nassau county area. If it helps, as I know these speech patterns are
changing, the film takes place in 1981, which is at the start of the Brooklyn
migrations, I think.

    I have listened to a speaker from 'Eastern Long Island' on the
IDEA-Internt'l Dialect of English Language page in the New York section. Its
at; www.ukans.edu/~idea site. This speaker has very little noticable New York
sound. She has hard 'r's and speaks a fairly mid-atlantic speech. I don't
know if that is the best example.

    In any case, I would value any ideas you have. Thank you very much. Have
a great weekend.

Sincerely,

John Nelles <jenelles at attcanada.ca>