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Author
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Topic: English Geeks Needed
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MandysRad
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posted February 21, 2006 19:20
I have to write a research paper for my senior English Class and I chose the topic of regional dialects to write on thinking it'd be easy. I chose to focus on "Hello" and other ways to greet people as well as commonly heard phrases in different parts of the country (USA) that all mean the same thing.
Oh how foolish I was. I cannot seem to find ANY helpful sites. If someone could help me or point me in the right direction it'd be appreciated.
Here are the questions I need to answer specifically.
Topic of Research Paper:
Different Greetings and Phrases Throughout the USA
1. How does the word hello vary through the country?
2. Where do these variations come from?
3. What are other commonly heard phrases in different states that all mean the same thing?
4. How much do countries of origin effect the speech of American's from different states today?
(IE How does having a predominately French background effect the way people from Louisiana speak?)
5. What are other slang terms have entered our culture in through other sources (IE books, popular television shows, songs)?
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nerdwithnofriends
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posted February 21, 2006 20:06
Well, here in montana the standard greeting is simply 'hi' or 'hey'.
One thing you may want to look in to is the different terms for pop- that's what it is here, but out east it's called 'soda', and down south everything is called 'coke'.
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"The Buddha, the Godhead, resides quite as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he does at the top of a mountain or in the petals of a flower." - Robert M. Pirsig
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GrumpySteen
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posted February 21, 2006 20:14
Rather than trying to approach the entire United States, you might select certain regions as examples. That would allow you to select particular greetings to find the source of without the scope of the research becoming overwhelming in the process.
There is an online etymology dictionary that would probably be a good source of starting material. You could then flesh out each greeting you chose with further research.
You might also look at the Wiktionary, but double check any 'facts' you get there to be sure it's not just someone making things up. The results for a Google search on "slang etymology" look like they might be helpful too.
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Ugh, MightyClub
BlabberMouth, the Next Generation
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posted February 21, 2006 20:32
Have you tried using "dialect" as one of your keywords? Years ago I somewhere read about the New England dialect and accent being heavily influenced by a foreign country (probably a British region) while the southern dialects are based on some other country (or another British region maybe). Sorry I'm vague, it was a very long time ago. The point I'm trying to make is that the info is out there, and must have made the leap to cyberspace by now. The key is to find the right search terms...
Also, I second Steen's advice -- try to narrow your focus to one or two regions and go in depth. You may be surprised how much mileage you can get from a seemingly laser-focused topic.
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Ugh!
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The Famous Druid
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posted February 21, 2006 22:54
G'day !
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Ashitaka
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posted February 22, 2006 01:06
I'm a hoosier by birth. (born in Indiana) I guess the regional dialect for hello here is "hey" pronounced "a"
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Rhonwyyn
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posted February 22, 2006 01:08
Pennsylvania Dutch: Whaddaya say?
Philly: 'Sup? (Curt head nod.)
Corporate: Hey. How ya doin'. (Note: Not a true question 'cause they keep walking briskly without waiting to hear your answer.)
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..er..
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posted February 22, 2006 02:49
"..How much do countries of origin effect the speech of American's from different states today?
(IE How does having a predominately French background effect the way people from Louisiana speak?).."
affect the speech / the way people ..etc.
(..That's an effect, or affectation, of my English upbringing!..) ..doh: Sorry!
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Ugh, MightyClub
BlabberMouth, the Next Generation
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posted February 22, 2006 08:37
Oh, no, the Grammer Police are out!
IIRC, an effect is something that happens as a result of some event. A noun is affected by this event.
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Ugh!
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dragonman97
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posted February 22, 2006 10:54
quote:
Originally posted by Ugh, MightyClub:
Oh, no, the Grammer Police are out!
IIRC, an effect is something that happens as a result of some event. A noun is affected by this event.
Gorram it....it's "Grammar!"
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GameMaster
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posted February 22, 2006 12:45
quote:
Originally posted by nerdwithnofriends:
Well, here in montana the standard greeting is simply 'hi' or 'hey'.
One thing you may want to look in to is the different terms for pop- that's what it is here, but out east it's called 'soda', and down south everything is called 'coke'.
soda is a midwest thing... Wisconsin has a language all their own.
We have bubblers, which are not foutians but people everywhere else call them "drinking fountians."
Southern Milwaukee, in the polish areas, and in the "U.P." talk with added words that don't add to the sentence:
"Get me a beer, while your up, yet, once, hey." = "While you are up, can you get me a beer?"
"which yur ugly mug" = "Your ugly (in the face)"
"There's a little bit of snow" = "There's a blizard, schools in most states would be closed, but we're used to it... suck it up."
"It's a blizzard!" = "You can't see an inch in front of your face, the snow covers your door completely"
"Hey." = "How are you." = "what's up?" = "'sup?" = "yo." = "Hello"
Mandy, you might want to look an old school-yard song "There are Many Ways to Say 'Hello'"
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Matias
Highlie
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posted February 22, 2006 13:01
Here are some from my household/culture. This is how we greet each other.
Hola= Hello
Que pasa/Que paso: What's up/What's happening?
Como estas?: How are you?
Oh, and we also say one of the above followed by a kiss on the cheek for each person we greet.
Ummmm...as I think of more I will add them. I am having a brain fart right now for some dam reason.
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
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Rhonwyyn
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posted February 22, 2006 14:23
Re: soda vs. pop.
I recall seeing a map somewhere showing the breakdown of soda vs. pop across the US. The thing to remember is that sometimes it's divided within the states. Case in point: Pittsburgh says pop but Philly says soda, so you see both of those in State College (center of the state), depending on who's speaking/writing.
I just say "soft drink" and avoid the issue completely. ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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drunkennewfiemidget
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posted February 22, 2006 14:49
Around here if you say soda, people will look at you funny.
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ChildeRoland
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posted February 22, 2006 15:45
I'm from Kansas (mid-west) and I grew up saying 'pop.' I've heard of, but not seen, that map as well.
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Childe Roland
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SpazGirl
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posted February 22, 2006 18:24
Well, Kris says "pop", but I personally say "soda". So there's a difference in the same city.
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Things, and things.
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csk
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posted February 22, 2006 18:28
quote:
Originally posted by Rhonwyyn:
I just say "soft drink" and avoid the issue completely.
See, told you you'd assimilate into Australian culture just fine
Still confused as to why TFD went for "G'day" rather than "G'day mate!"
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6 weeks to go!
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Ugh, MightyClub
BlabberMouth, the Next Generation
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posted February 22, 2006 19:54
quote:
Originally posted by dragonman97:
quote:
Originally posted by Ugh, MightyClub:
Oh, no, the Grammer Police are out!
IIRC, an effect is something that happens as a result of some event. A noun is affected by this event.
Gorram it....it's "Grammar!"
Ack! How ironic -- I'm usually one to holler at other people for mispelling 'grammar' ![[blush]](graemlins/blush.gif)
Um... yeah... actually, I was referring to the Kelsey Grammer Police. Turns out Kelsey is quite pedantic about proper usage of 'affect' vs. 'effect' vs. 'a fact' vs. 'AFLAC' vs. 'Affleck'.
Hey, look! A zebra!
/me whistles nonchalantly
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Ugh!
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Metasquares
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posted February 22, 2006 20:44
It's "soda" throughout the entire New York metropolitan area.
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Ugh, MightyClub
BlabberMouth, the Next Generation
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posted February 23, 2006 07:30
Most people in Ithaca say "soda" but in Buffalo people drink "pop".
On the (somewhat) related subject of accents, I saw a hypothesis that letters can neither be gained nor lost throughout the USA as a whole. For example, the R's dropped from the end of words in Boston ("Battah up!") migrate to Texas ("Erl well").
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Ugh!
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Callipygous
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posted February 23, 2006 08:49
If you want to hear an authentic UK regional dialect, listen to the miners from the Forest of Dean in this 15 minute long Radio feature. Sadly really rich and distinctive local voices like this are disappearing fast. All the boys of school age in my part of the UK look up to, and ape the language of US gangster rappers. The local Sussex accent has pretty much completely gone, and has been replaced by variations of the ugly London accent. Most rural accents seem to have been replaced by urban ones, because I suppose, we think of urban people as being more sophisticated.
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MandysRad
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posted February 23, 2006 12:43
dragonman97 said gorram! That's a Firefly/Serenity referance! ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
And thank you so so so so so much guys. I've just been googling on things like "Slang words in America" and the past day or say trying my luck at different sites with "American Regional Dialect".
I think I am going to have to revise my topic slightly or maybe just find specific people from different areas of the state at forums like them and ask them what they're area dialect is like.
As for the soda vs pop thing: When I was little and lived in Baltimore I was raised to say soda but when I was moved back to Ohio everyone said pop so I begin to switch between the two. Now I find I prefer saying pop as I'm far to lazy to say the two-syllable word that is "soda".
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The Famous Druid
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posted February 23, 2006 12:57
quote:
Originally posted by csk:
Still confused as to why TFD went for "G'day" rather than "G'day mate!"
I'd only just met Mandy, it was a bit too early to 'mate' with her ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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The-Tech
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posted February 24, 2006 10:37
Mandy ...
You could also add Hoagie Sub Hero Sandwich Po' Boy to the list with Soda Pop Coke ...
As for saying hello ... In the Bronx we just say "gimme your wallet"
Dave
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