Speech pattern and typographical variations across Canada

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Most of the francophones here, especially in St-Pierre-et-Miquelon, are actually Basque in heritage. They're fully francophone and, in SPM, fully French - but their ethnic and cultural heritage is Basque.



So francophone North Americans who are citizens of France pushing for an independent Basque country they love in their hearts. The world is fucking awesome.

??? One would not get that from the interview.

[SignalHillHiker]

Why, what does she say? I just YouTubed "SPM" and "Basque" and put up the first thing with lots of talking.

The island is plastered with Basque country flags - it's even part of their official flag (top left corner). I always assumed that meant they were largely supportive?

And they're very conscious of what flags mean:

http://lesdotteaspm.canalblog.com/archives/2010/11/21/19780139.html

[kwoldtimer]

Apart from an oblique comment at the beginning about needing to know where you're from to know where you might be going, it's just a conversation between two French people (one with Basque heritage) about the Basque heritage in the SPM community. I know nothing of SPM politics, but I assume flying a Basque flag there simply denotes Basque heritage. Whether it conveys political views, I couldn't say.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by FrAnKs

oh, don't take him as the perfect example of what are Montrealers. Louis-José is well know to be on speed and speak fast.

Yes, speaking with rapid-fire speed is a big part of Louis-José Houde's "thing". He's not necessarily typical in this respect.

[rousseau]

Okay, this is just getting silly. An "expert commentator" on CBC today pronounced the word "caricature" with the stress on the second syllable. That's wrong. Totally wrong.

Sometimes I think the CBC are trolling us. I still want to know if they have a house standard for pronunciations. Does everyone going on air who is employed by them have to use the British pronunciation for "record" as a noun? Actually, Jian Ghomeshi (remember him?) would likely have used the word a lot. I wonder if he did?

[lio45]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Also, completely disagree with him that Montrealers are more calm than Parisiens. His interaction with the rest of the hosts is proof enough of the opposite, to me. He's like one of them on speed.

The statement is totally true, generally speaking. He's just ONE hyper Montrealer, no one said those couldn't exist.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I just YouTubed "SPM" and "Basque" and put up the first thing with lots of talking.

And you found, Basque ladies with PMS talking?

[SignalHillHiker]

Chatting about racism tonight and gave an example of one time where I'd witnessed it.

A friend agreed he'd had a similar experience in the same place.

Then said: "Of course, the plural of anecdote isn't evidence."

Dying. I definitely needed to hear that in my life.

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by lio45

The statement is totally true, generally speaking. He's just ONE hyper Montrealer, no one said those couldn't exist.

Well, I trust you on this more than me so fair enough.

[Trantor]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

The few Brazil's you encounter around here are more likely to be of Portuguese descent than from Newfoundland. The family name that I totally identify with Newfoundland is "Noseworthy". Never met one who didn't have a Newfoundland connection.

if they are of portuguese descent then probably their surname is related to the country, or just to the word BRASA (ember).

Anyway, in that case, their surname should be pronounced like the country.

I guess the irish may have more descendants in Canada and therefore the celtic Brazil got more popular or "accepted" as the correct pronounciation?

In that case, two completely different origin surnames, with no etymological common ground and different pronounciations.

It would be up to the carrier of each surname to correct people about how they should be pronounced. But after a few generations, one of the pronounciations will certainly be lost anyway.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Trantor

if they are of portuguese descent then probably their surname is related to the country, or just to the word BRASA (ember).

Anyway, in that case, their surname should be pronounced like the country.

I guess the irish may have more descendants in Canada and therefore the celtic Brazil got more popular or "accepted" as the correct pronounciation?

In that case, two completely different origin surnames, with no etymological common ground and different pronounciations.

It would be up to the carrier of each surname to correct people about how they should be pronounced. But after a few generations, one of the pronounciations will certainly be lost anyway.

There are surnames which seem related to a particular nationality but that are actually of another origin. Someone whose last name is "French" (fairly common in Newfoundland) may not have any ancestors who were French, and they may have been English. They may have been given the name "French" centuries ago simply because of what they looked like.

I once met an English Canadian dude from Ontario who spoke only English whose last name was "Basque" and who went around telling everyone he was of Basque origin, when in fact "Basque" is not even the word for "Basque" in Basque! He was actually of French Canadian (likely Acadian) origin, although he didn't even know it. Or maybe he denied it, judging from the kind of guy he was.
The Italian name "Tedesco" which means "German" is probably like this.

In French Canada we have many names like Litalien, Lallemand, Langlais (Langlois is a very common derivative) and even Portugais and Portugaise and it's likely most of these people have very little of their family tree in those particular countries, if anything at all.

[SignalHillHiker]

Everyone writes a little in Newfoundland English from time to time - it's about as common as African Americans speaking really ghetto in the United States. A minority does it because that's all they know, but the majority just does it for fun or emphasis.

Anyhow, Trina is one of the best at it. Some of my favourites of her tweets:

[SignalHillHiker]

Mother phoned in to Open Line to complain her daughters school told her the girl was pipping off when she wasn't. I haven't heard that term since I was in school.

There are a number of expressions in English which refer to truancy. In South Africa, the slang used is bunking, mulling, skipping or jippo. In Jamaica, it is called skulling. In Guyana skulking. In Antigua and Barbuda, it is called skudding. In New Zealand and Australia truancy is called wagging, bunking, "jigging", ditching, or skipping school. It is called bunking (off) or skiving or wagging[citation needed] in the United Kingdom and India, mitching, wagging or on the knock. In Wales, sagging. In Liverpool, bunking or cutting class, doggin, skiving, playing tickie or puggin. In Scotland, on the hop, on the bunk, mitching, beaking, skiving, doggin it or on the beak. In Ireland, mitching, on the hop, dossing, on the duck or skiving. In the United States and Canada expressions include hookey, playing hookey, ditching, dipping, jigging, sluffing, skipping, cutting class, or simply just cutting. In the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the act of truancy is known amongst youths as "pipping off", and truant students are described as being "on the pip". In Trinidad and Tobago, it is referred to as breaking biche. In Singapore and Malaysia, it is referred to as fly. In the state of Utah a sluff is a commonly used word referring to a truancy. In Pakistan it is referred to as bunking. In India it is "Bunking" in English and "Dumma" colloquially.

[Marty_Mcfly]

On the pip! Oh man, that takes me back to high school

Haven't heard that term since back then. Probably because when you do it past the age of 17 it's called being a lazy asshole.

[SignalHillHiker]

Heard a guy pronounce "oil" and "aisle".

And a woman who pronounced "program" as "pogrom".

Also, Ayreonaut sent this in reference to us:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/28/loius-ck-jokes-live-at-the-comedy-store_n_6558352.html

[raggedy13]

Since I've moved to Winnipeg from Vancouver, I've noticed a few minor differences.

One that has come up recently is using the word "dainties" to describe something like baked goods or fancy snack foods (I think), or what in Vancouver we might call "goodies" or "treats". Perhaps it's the kind of thing you'd have at high tea. At any rate, I don't think I've ever heard the word used in BC. When I hear "dainties" I think more along the lines of ladies underwear or something.

Also, some people in Winnipeg pronounce the word "route" as "rauwt" whereas pretty well everybody in Vancouver would pronounce it as "root".

Overall, I don't find Winnipeggers to have any sort of distinguishable accent from Vancouverites with only a few minor differences like the ones above.

[Xelebes]

Originally Posted by raggedy13

When I hear "dainties" I think more along the lines of ladies underwear or something.

Gitch or gonch?

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by raggedy13

One that has come up recently is using the word "dainties" to describe something like baked goods or fancy snack foods (I think), or what in Vancouver we might call "goodies" or "treats". Perhaps it's the kind of thing you'd have at high tea. At any rate, I don't think I've ever heard the word used in BC. When I hear "dainties" I think more along the lines of ladies underwear or something.

Good catch. I heard "dainties" used in the context of Christmas cookies in Winnipeg, so that was my understanding too (i.e. that they meant fancy treats for a special occasion).

Since Winnipeg is the Mecca for Russian Mennonites, it's worth noting that that term wouldn't be used by the Mennonite community there (or anywhere else).

Originally Posted by raggedy13

Overall, I don't find Winnipeggers to have any sort of distinguishable accent from Vancouverites with only a few minor differences like the ones above.

That was my impression during my six years there too. I got to know a lot of Westerners from every inch of the real estate between Winnipeg and Victoria, and there were essentially no distinctive differences between the way they spoke outside of the odd regional eccentricity.

[SignalHillHiker]

Some people in Winnipeg also pronounce Lagimodiere Boulevard in English - so strongly it almost seems like a joke. Ladge-E-Moe-De-Yurr.

[vid]

We use the word danties in Thunder Bay. They are any kind of baked sweets. Things like tarts, rum balls, wee cupcakes, other little globs of baked whatever.

Thunder Bayers haven't decided between "root" or "rowt" for the word "route" yet; you hear both equally, and some people switch between the two. "Rowt" seems to be winning, though.