LL-L: "Language varieties" 30.JUN.2000 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 30.JUN.2000 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
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From: Lee [glent at troi.csw.net]
Subjecxt: LL-L: "Language varieties" 29.JUN.2000 (03) [E]

>From: Jasmin Harvey [jharvey at ucla.edu]
>Subjecxt: LL-L: "Language varieties" 29.JUN.2000 (01) [E]
>
>Hmmm, perhaps the popularity of this accent has waned in SoCal since you
>moved to Arkansas, Lee (Douglas?), because it doesn't sound like anything
>I've heard.  I have lived in the San Fernando Valley off and on since 1981

You may call me Doug.  It's true that I haven't lived there since the '70s
and my sparse knowledge of the subject is from experience only.  What I
should have said is that the so called dialect of Valley speak had at least

been around as early as the second half of the 1970s and developed further
from that (beginning?)  Later, the rest of the world's knowing about it may

have helped it to survive beyond a local fad status and develop into a more

world-wide phenomenon, but, it's true that now it is mostly history.  And
it may be true that some of its influence might have spread into other
English speaking countries as well via TV, films, and CDs and whatever
else! ;-)   We also must remember that the bland southern CA accent was the

perfect accent for this valley speak to develop from.  And I say bland
because as a kid (when I spoke S CA) I didn't realize I had an accent until

I moved to the South and everyone would ask "Where are you from?"  It was
then that I realized (duh!!) that I, too, had an accent!

As for the surfer speak, I don't know when it started but I think the
culture came from Hawaii to CA in the 50s.  There already was slang
language developing by then and a bit of it can be seen and heard in the
1959 film Gidget.  Which is the only intelligent film of that series (my
opinion only).  It sounds to me as if the surfer speak developed out of a
passion to "ride the wild surf" (lol )and a desire to articulate that
desire, in that generation's own way, to an older generation.  It was their

way of saying to Mom and Dad, this is our speak and ours only! We dare you
to figure out what we are talking about!!!  hee hee hee!  Well, anyway if
the parent did take time to figure out surfer speak it meant the he or she
cared about what his or her child was raving about!  And when it comes down

to it, isn't that what children today what?  attention from their
parents?  the ability to be able to talk to Mom and Dad about life's
difficulties?  Whatever!!!!  I'm just rambling now!

Douglas Lee Swicegood

>at UCLA (those who know about the commute will pity me too!).  I really
>haven't heard this pronounciation.  It may well be "surfer speak", though,

>because I haven't been part of that culture at all.  In which case it is
>now
>restricted to them, perhaps because surfers are less the general youth
role
>
>models they once were.
>
>
>Jasmin Harvey
>Germanic Linguistics C.Phil.
>jharvey at ucla.edu
Jasmin, I'm in no way an expert on this, just a casual bystander from an
earlier era!  ;-)

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