Speech pattern and typographical variations across Canada

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Nice summation. But Singapore is definitely Tier 3 in your categorization, not Tier 2.

Yeah, I wasn't sure about Singapore.

My feeling is that Tier 5 Francophone cities are probably pretty limited. What's a city where people don't have any historical ties to French but the majority of people are fluent in French as a second language? Parts of Catalonia abutting France? German-speaking Switzerland?

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I realize it's largely ignorance but it is what it is. Even a semi-famous and fairly francophone Timminoise like Céleste Lévis sounds a bit anglo to people. Although the anglo tinges tend to fade away with time spent speaking French more regularly.

It's funny because Céleste Lévis (or Celeste Levis many here will spell it LOL) has a franco tinge when speaking English.

Here is a local interview in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nROOBgI5_yM

Her parents own the Levis Foodland grocery store located in the neighbourhood I live in. In ads, the name is pronounced LEVEE's Foodland. I like shopping there.

I really like Céleste Lévis btw. Maybe she will be bigger than Shania!

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Anglosphere Tier 3: English is an official language, but the majority of people speak another language at home. While many people speak English fluently, a significant portion of the population have no English skills whatsoever. e.g. Hong Kong, Mumbai, Johannesburg. (Edit: maybe some of the Tier 2 examples are really tier 3).

.

Haiti, Algeria, Ottawa, Moncton, Winnipeg

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Anglosphere Tier 1: English is the official language. The vast majority of residents speak English at home. You cannot get by without speaking English.
e.g. most small towns in English Canada.

.

All of France, most of Quebec except for maybe Montreal and Gatineau

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Anglosphere Tier 2: English is the official/de facto language, and the language spoken by the plurality, but there is a significant population of people who speak another unofficial language such that you can lead a parallel life in that language and not speak English at all. e.g. Los Angeles, Richmond BC, Singapore, Belize City.

Maybe Montreal and Gatineau. Maybe Brussels. Mauritius. Cameroon.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Anglosphere Tier 4: English is not the official language, but a majority of people have some fluency in English and English has been a historical language of a significant minority. e.g. Montreal.

Anglosphere Tier 5: English is not the official language, but a majority of residents are fluent in English as a second language. You can get by without speaking a word of the official language, and only speaking English. e.g. Amsterdam, Copenhagen.

There is some overlap between these two.

Morocco
Luxembourg
Lebanon
Tunisia
Andorra
Flanders in Belgium
Most francophone African countries

And then there are places like Romania and Moldava, where even though it's not a majority, a good chunk of the people can speak French.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Andy6

But the Buffalo Sabres aren't the Sabers, something I've never been able to find an explanation of.

That's a really good catch! (and indeed strange)

I never stopped to think of it, as for me it's always been "les Sabres de Buffalo" but if I ever thought of them in English for some reason I know I'd pronounce it "Buffalo Sabers".

Another question to follow up something brought up by Loco101, what would be the natural way to pronounce Levis for an Anglo if you don't know any better? Would it rhyme with Elvis, or would it instead be Levi's like the jeans brand? Originally it was spelled Lévy, which seems to me harder to mispronounce, not sure why it got changed...

P.S. I do know you guys normally will pronounce it "Lay Vee" which would be correct (my gf is Anglo, after all, and has been living here for a long time) but I'm just curious to know if it's natural to do that or if it requires a bit of familiarity with the place.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lio45

That's a really good catch! (and indeed strange)

I never stopped to think of it, as for me it's always been "les Sabres de Buffalo" but if I ever thought of them in English for some reason I know I'd pronounce it "Buffalo Sabers".

Another question to follow up something brought up by Loco101, what would be the natural way to pronounce Levis for an Anglo if you don't know any better? Would it rhyme with Elvis, or would it instead be Levi's like the jeans brand? Originally it was spelled Lévy, which seems to me harder to mispronounce, not sure why it got changed...

P.S. I do know you guys normally will pronounce it "Lay Vee" which would be correct (my gf is Anglo, after all, and has been living here for a long time) but I'm just curious to know if it's natural to do that or if it requires a bit of familiarity with the place.

I've frequently heard people pronounce it "Levi's" like the jeans, but in almost all cases I assume it's jokingly. Generally anglophones and also Franco-Ontarians.

As for the spelling change, could it have been changed because of the anti-semitism of a bygone era? "Lévy" is the name of a legendary Hebrew tribe. It and the alternate spelling "Levi" are strongly associated with Judaism. Just a thought...

[ue]

Without context, or knowledge of French grammatical conventions, seeing the word Levis, I would assume a pronunciation like the jeans brand. Upon first seeing the place on a map, I think I pronounced it more "Levy" (like Eugene Levy), but have corrected myself to saying "Lay Vee".

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by lio45

That's a really good catch! (and indeed strange)

I never stopped to think of it, as for me it's always been "les Sabres de Buffalo" but if I ever thought of them in English for some reason I know I'd pronounce it "Buffalo Sabers".

This somehow jogs my memory with regards to a "The Office" episode where they are taken over by a company called "Sabre" pronounced sah-bray.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by ue

Without context, or knowledge of French grammatical conventions, seeing the word Levis, I would assume a pronunciation like the jeans brand. Upon first seeing the place on a map, I think I pronounced it more "Levy" (like Eugene Levy), but have corrected myself to saying "Lay Vee".

What if you saw the "accent aigu" on the "e", as it appears on road signs: Lévis? Wouldn't that tip you off on the way it should be said?

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by Acajack

What if you saw the "accent aigu" on the "e", as it appears on road signs: Lévis? Wouldn't that tip you off on the way it should be said?

Before I learned French, I had no idea what any of the accents did to word pronunciations. Of course in adulthood I'm sure many would know, but I'm also sure there is still a large contingent of anglophones that don't.

[BobLoblawsLawBlog]

Originally Posted by rousseau

This cornucopia is influencing the way we speak, even if the Quebec accent and the colourful expressions we use are far from disappearing (No Google! I admit defeat with the expression: "à la veille de disparaître complètement").

My favourite French saying is "C'est l'un qui crie le plus fort". I don't know why I like to so much or if it's even French specific.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by BobLoblawsLawBlog

My favourite French saying is "C'est l'un qui crie le plus fort". I don't know why I like to so much or if it's even French specific.

Are you sure you're getting this right?

[Loco101]

And I just have to add that I saw Céleste Lévis drive by my house yesterday.

In Timmins, in English, her last name is pronounced "levee" just like a levee along a river. (a wall designed to prevent flooding)

Her parents own Levis' Foodland grocery store and the radio ads pronounce it the same way. But when speaking French, it is always pronounced the correct way.

But the funny thing in Timmins is that many French names are pronounced correctly even by anglophones where they aren't pronounced correctly in much of English-speaking Canada.

Once is example is Lemieux. Remember Mario Lemieux? Everyone in Timmins knows how to say his name. The English language media in Canada doesn't!

[SignalHillHiker]

A Maritime list, lots of similarities... I'll bold the ones that are also the dominant way to express the same thing here.

Stuff you’ll only ever hear in the Maritimes

1. SOOK
“Sook” in the Maritimes basically means the same thing as “sulk” does everywhere else. It can be a noun or a verb.

“Don’t be such a sook.” or “Stop sooking, it’s just a papercut.”

2. SOME
Although we usually use “some” the same way the rest of Canada does (“I want some pie”) some of us also use it as a modifier to show exactly how strongly we feel about something.

“That car was going some fast.”

3. DOORYARD
If you’ve got a dooryard, you’ve got a front yard.

“My house is the one with the big pine tree in the dooryard.”

4. BUDDY
Don’t know someone’s name? No problem, “Buddy” works just as well—whether you’re talking to them or about them. It’s mainly used to refer to men, though. [In NL it'd be paired with Missus as the female version]

“Hey look, Buddy left his gloves behind.” Or “Hey Buddy, how’re you doing tonight?”

5. FUSSY
“Fussy” has a couple of different common usages, but usually if you’re “fussy,” it means you’re particular about something. In the Maritimes, if you’re “not fussy” about something, it means you don’t really like it.

“I’m not fussy about Aunt Carol’s spinach dip.”

6. ‘MAGINE!
This is “imagine” with the “i” chopped off. If you’re using it in proper Maritime fashion, you’d exclaim it in response to a story about something unbelievable or ridiculous. ['Magine was huge when I was in junior high in the mid-1990s. "'Mag now!"]

“So he ate the steak but took the rinds back to the store and told them it was too fatty. ‘Magine!”

7. BED LUNCH
It’s not lunch in bed—it’s just another name for a bedtime snack. “Bed lunch” isn’t used consistently all over the Maritimes; it seems to be most commonly used on Prince Edward Island.

“Do we have any cereal left? I’m going to have it for bed lunch.”

8. SCOFF
If we scoff at you, we’re probably making fun of you (that’s right, we’re not friendly all the time). But that’s common usage. If we’re scoffing something down, it means we’re eating quickly. [Scoff exists in NL, but it means a big meal]

“I’ll be ready in a second, just let me scoff down the rest of this meatloaf.”

9. GO ON!
If we say this after you’ve said something, it either means we literally don’t believe you, or you’ve said something surprising. ["Gwan b'y!" or "Gwan witcha!" here]

“School’s cancelled because of a couple of centimetres of snow? Go on!”

10. STUNNED
If someone tells you you’re stunned, there’s a pretty good chance they aren’t referring to your state of consciousness (that would be weird). They’re actually insulting your intelligence.

“You posted your email password on Twitter? Are you stunned?”

11. COME-FROM-AWAY (CFA)
CFA is a term sometimes used to refer to people who have moved to a new community, usually from outside the Maritimes/Atlantic Canada. There’s no strict time limit on how long someone’s considered a CFA—it could be a few months or it could be 20 years. Note: I have never actually heard “CFA” used in a non-ironic way, but apparently it happens. “From away” seems to be a little more common. [It's sometimes even used officially the way Canada uses "newcomer"].

“The guy building all the condos downtown? Oh, he’s a CFA.”

12. BOUGHTEN BREAD
This is quite literally bread you bought at the store. It’s mainly used to differentiate between homemade bread and Wonder bread.

“We’ve only got boughten bread left—you ate all the homemade bread yesterday.”

13. OH ME NERVES!
This one’s not just a Maritimism—it’s used just as frequently (maybe more) in Newfoundland. It’s usually used to convey a high level of irritation. [Old-fashioned now. Nerves is still very commonly used, but not so much in this phrasing. From younger people, you'll get things like, "Me ****in' nerves is gone/drove"]

“It’s been snowing for a week straight. Oh me nerves!”

14. RIGHT
Like “some,” this one can also be used as a replacement word for “very.”

“Those New Brunswick boys who took that couch through the drive-through were right drunk.”

15. THE INHALED AFFIRMATIVE
This one goes two different ways. It can be a quick inhale in response to a question, or the word “yep” said on an inhale. Both mean yes.

Maritimer 1: “I’m not fussy about donairs. Do you like them?”

Maritimer 2: * inhaled affirmative *

16. OWLY
Describes someone who’s angry or irritable.

“He’s some owly today. Must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed.”

17. FILL YER BOOTS
This one basically means, “Go ahead, help yourself.”

Maritimer #1: “Mind if I finish the coffee?”

Maritimer #2: “Fill yer boots.”

18. PUCK
Maritimers play hockey just like everyone else in Canada. But here, puck isn’t just a noun—it’s also a verb that synonymous with “hit” or “punch.”

“You think I’m stunned? Watch your mouth or I’ll puck you in the face.”

19. BLOWIN’ A GALE
This is just what it sounds like: it’s really windy outside.

“Don’t go out unless you have to—it’s blowin’ a gale out there.”

20. GO AWAY
“Go away” often slurs into “Go ‘way,” and it works a lot like “Go on!” It’s an exclaimed response to something unbelievable.

“The journalists’ union has been on strike for more than a year? Go ‘way!”

21. BIFF
Call someone “stunned” or “owly”? Look out, or they might biff something at you. In the Maritimes, “biff” is synonymous with “throw”.

“Did you see that? Buddy in the Corolla just cut me off. I should biff this Timmy’s cup at him.”

22. WHAT ARE YOU SAYIN’?
I know it sounds like we think you’re mumbling, but that’s not what we mean. We really want to know what you’ve been doing lately.

“Oh hey! I haven’t seen you in ages. What are you sayin’?” [Rare here, but I'd interpret it as meaning disbelief, same as "Go on!"]

23. HOLY MACKEREL!
This one belongs to a family of exclamations that includes “Jumpin’ Jesus,” and “Lord liftin’.” It’s essentially an expression of shock or disbelief.

“Holy mackerel—look at the news! There’s a guy in New Brunswick plowing snow in a bikini!”

24. SLIPPY
Nope, that’s not a typo. But it does mean exactly what you think it means: slippery.

“Careful walking out there later. The sidewalk is some slippy.”

http://www.theloop.ca/stuff-youll-hear-maritimes/

Sent this post to the Townie SSPers to make sure it's accurate.

[Acajack]

Anyone familiar with blaggin'?

[vid]

Northwestern Ontarians use "right" to mean "very" as well. It's right understandable to us. Boughten is also used, but it's essentially a portmanteau of "bought" and "gotten" and doesn't refer to bread.

For example: "Check out these new shoes I boughtten, they're right comfy".

[lio45]

CFA: “Mind if I finish the coffee?”

Maritimer: “Fill yer boots.”

CFA: “....... you want me to pour the coffee in my boots?!?”

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

A Maritime list, lots of similarities... I'll bold the ones that are also the dominant way to express the same thing here.

Stuff you’ll only ever hear in the Maritimes



http://www.theloop.ca/stuff-youll-hear-maritimes/

Sent this post to the Townie SSPers to make sure it's accurate.

I have lots of old Maritime connections so this has appeared on my Facebook feed a few times in recent days.