LL-L "Language adaptation" 2003.12.03 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 03.DEC.2003 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: sam claire <samclaire at mybluelight.com>
Subject: LL-L

Peter; I can't throw much light onto your question about accents, but where
I'm concerned, my former Bronx accent is all but erased except for traces.
People still remark that I pronounce certain words unlike the locals here
and speak with a different cadence.  These speech patterns might be
explained by the psycholinguists.  Sam

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From: Brooks, Mark <mark.brooks at twc.state.tx.us>
Subject: LL-L "Language adaption" 2003.12.02 (02) [E]

Peter wrote:
"Do any of you have any experiences of this phenomenon, either loss
or retention of accent? Has any academic work been done on the subject?"
In my undergrad sociolinguistics class of 15-18 years ago my professor
explained it as the speaker's opinion of the dialect.  In other words, if
the speaker held the accent of the new area in high esteem, he would tend to
adopt it.  If the speaker held the accent of the area he moved away from in
higher esteem, he would tend to retain it.  He gave us an example of a woman
from the South in the U.S. who had moved to New York City.  Normally, a
Southerner would try to hide her Southern accent, because of New Yorkers'
perceived disdain for "hicks" from the South.  However, in the case he told
us about, the woman proudly and intentionally retained her accent for 20
years or more.

So, I your case, your aunt may have been like the Southerner in NYC.  She
held onto her Glasgow accent out of a rebellious kind of pride.  I'm from
Texas, and my daughter who grew up here lives in NYC.  She seems to have
adopted the more Standard English way of speaking, because she plans to stay
there and she really likes it.  To each his own, but for myself, I'd hold
onto my old way of speaking just out of spite!

Mark

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