Bad TV dialects

[James Smith]

--- RonButters at AOL.COM wrote:
> In a message dated 10/2/02 10:55:48 AM,
> edkeer at YAHOO.COM writes:
>
.... Of course, most Americans think there is
> only one Southern
> (WHITE) dialect and it sounds like Clark Gable in
> GONE WITH THE WIND. So
> filmmakers who do this are interested in
> verisimilitude, not accuracy.\

If I understand correctly, what the non-south hears
and approximates as a "southern" accent or dialect
didn't appear until late in the nineteenth century, so
Civil War movies and postbellum westerns depicting
Reb's using modern heavy "southern" accents are
inaccurate.  Is this at least approximately true?

How early did "real" various regional accents and
dialects become distinguishable - or at least how
early are they documented?  And how much have the
modern versions changed or evolved from the originals?


=====
James D. SMITH                 |If history teaches anything
South SLC, UT                  |it is that we will be sued
jsmithjamessmith at yahoo.com     |whether we act quickly and decisively
                               |or slowly and cautiously.

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