Pittsburgh = Florence?

[Patti J. Kurtz]

Being from Pittsburgh myself, I'd have to agree-- we'd need to know what
she's hearing that she thinks typifies "a Pittsburgh accent."  is it
pronunciation?  Sentence structure?  Lexicon?  Knowing what she's
hearing would help us figure out why she thinks the two sound similar
and maybe help explain the similarities.

Patti Kurtz


RonButters at AOL.COM wrote:

>---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       RonButters at AOL.COM
>Subject:      Pittsburgh = Florence?
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Do any ADS-L experts have an betgter answer than mine to this question?
>
>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>Dear TasinSC:
>Without any information on WHAT it is that sounds like Pittsburgh to you, I=20
>have no idea how to answer the question. The two dialect areas are generally=
>=20
>quite distinct, so I GUESS that something is going on in your head that is n=
>ot=20
>totally in contact with the linguistic reality. This is NOt to say that you=20=
>are=20
>crazy or weird, only that you are reacting to some variables (whatever they=20
>are) and not noticing others.
>
>Sorry I can't be more he'p.
>Cheers, Ron Butters
>
>
>In a message dated 9/11/04 7:18:21 PM, TasinSC writes:
>
>
>
>
>>=20
>>Dear Mr. Butters,
>>=20
>> =A0
>>=20
>> I'm not a student of linguistics, I just have an interest.=A0 I'm a 42-ye=
>>
>>
>ar=20
>
>
>>old single mom who pays attention to how people around her speak.
>>=20
>> =A0
>>=20
>> I have a question:
>>=20
>> I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I'm very familiar=20
>>with the Pittsburgh accent.=A0 I've lived in many places in the U.S. and I=
>>
>>
>=20
>
>
>>haven't heard anything like it - EVER - except from people raised in weste=
>>
>>
>rn=20
>
>
>>Pennsylvania or eastern Ohio.
>>=20
>> =A0
>>=20
>> However, since moving to Greenville, South Carolina I have=A0asked severa=
>>
>>
>l=20
>
>
>>different people=A0if they were from Pittsburgh, confident of the answer=20
>>beforehand (due to their accent) - and been surprised to hear they are fro=
>>
>>
>m the=20
>
>
>>Florence, South Carolina area.=A0 I am very perplexed.=A0 Do you have any=20=
>>
>>
>insight to=20
>
>
>>this occurrence?
>>=20
>> =A0
>>=20
>> Thank you,
>>=20
>> Tracy Stone
>>=20
>>=20
>>
>>

--

Dr. Patti J. Kurtz

Assistant Professor, English

Director of the Writing Center

Minot State University

Minot, ND 58707



Foster: What about our evidence? They've got to take notice of that.



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