Speech pattern and typographical variations across Canada

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Accent insecurities are a classic big guy/little guy phenomenon.

I never thought Anglo-Canadians had such insecurities vis-à-vis Americans but I guess some of you guys do. Either it's always been there and I just never noticed, or it's something fairly recent.

In any event, I've had Acadian family members from the Maritimes who've deliberately altered their accent when they moved to Quebec (especially Montreal), and who've scolded their kids for sounding too Acadian and generally look down on the way Acadians "back home" speak.

My Quebec born and raised kids have no love for the Franco-Ontarian accent even though their mom is Franco-Ontarian as are most of their relatives. (And I lived in Ontario for part of my life.)

OTOH, it's extremely common (almost legendary) for Québécois who go to France to change their accents, and to have some of that linger when they come back.

The expressions "parler en cul de poule" (speaking out of a chicken's ass*) or "parler pointu" (speaking sharply) are colourful ways to describe this.

As I've said before, "On est tous l'Indien de quelqu'un d'autre."


*Think of the Donald Trump duckface.

If there’s an Anglo-Canadian accent insecurity, it would relate far more to RP than to anything one would hear in the USA, istm.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

If there’s an Anglo-Canadian accent insecurity, it would relate far more to RP than to anything one would hear in the USA, istm.

Historically that was almost certainly it, but my recent experience (here and on other forums, which has spurred me to look into it a bit more) suggests that there is something contemporary that exists vis-à-vis the Americans.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Historically that was almost certainly it, but my recent experience (here and on other forums, which has spurred me to look into it a bit more) suggests that there is something contemporary that exists vis-à-vis the Americans.

The Yanks can piss off. There's nothing like a proper RP accent.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The Yanks can piss off. There's nothing like a proper RP accent.

One agrees. Most U.S. accents are frightfully non-U.

[kool maudit]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

If there’s an Anglo-Canadian accent insecurity, it would relate far more to RP than to anything one would hear in the USA, istm.

I can't imagine any Anglo-Canadian under 60 thinking RP is something other than a foreign curiosity. It is so completely unnatural in a North American context; there is literally no life experience available on the continent that could produce an RP speaker.

[kool maudit]

Here in Scandinavia, land of the flawless non-native English-speaker, RP remains normal/aspirational for boomers and their elders, but everyone younger speaks with an American inflection (except the odd one who studied in the UK, but even they usually have some sort of vague southern/estuary accent and not RP). In my social group, there is one woman whose ex-husband was English, and the fact that she says things like "snog" or whatever is something people kind of gently mock.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

I can't imagine any Anglo-Canadian under 60 thinking RP is something other than a foreign curiosity. It is so completely unnatural in a North American context; there is literally no life experience available on the continent that could produce an RP speaker.

Hence intimidating. U.S. accents may make the speaker seem intellectually challenged, but it's completely familiar and therefore not intimidating. Seems pretty obvious.

Although many people in the USA are in thrall to English accents of all sorts.

[kwoldtimer]

edit

[jamincan]

I stumbled on this Youtube channel of a guy who is apparently Canadian. I haven't really listened to much of his stuff and don't really have anything to say about that. Instead, the thing that captured my attention was his accent. He is the first person I've heard that says the ou vowel in about the way Americans claim Canadians say it (ie. aboot). Can anyone place him regionally? It's so strange to my ears that it almost sounds more like someone trying to sound Canadian, or an affection.
• Video Link

[Razor]

This may of been posted before, but to me this is classic small town Ontario, although I'm sure their accent represents a broader Anglo Canada..These guys may even be from the prairies. who knows. Can francophones distinguish between different NA Anglo accents?.I know that I can tell Northern Ontario and New Brunswick French from Quebec French.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-glHAzXi_M

[Xelebes]

Originally Posted by jamincan

I stumbled on this Youtube channel of a guy who is apparently Canadian. I haven't really listened to much of his stuff and don't really have anything to say about that. Instead, the thing that captured my attention was his accent. He is the first person I've heard that says the ou vowel in about the way Americans claim Canadians say it (ie. aboot). Can anyone place him regionally? It's so strange to my ears that it almost sounds more like someone trying to sound Canadian, or an affection.

He's from Vancouver. It certainly sounds like an affection.

[kwoldtimer]

It's weird enough to have generated considerable on-line comment. I assume that is his intent.

[esquire]

I have never heard anyone ever say aboot the way that guy does. There is no way that is natural... 100% affectation.

[jamincan]

I did a bit more digging and it seems he's not just some random Youtuber and is actually a reasonably prominent conservative columnist out of Vancouver that seems to primarily write for and speak to American audiences, which might explain the affectation.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Razor

This may of been posted before, but to me this is classic small town Ontario, although I'm sure their accent represents a broader Anglo Canada..These guys may even be from the prairies. who knows. Can francophones distinguish between different NA Anglo accents?.I know that I can tell Northern Ontario and New Brunswick French from Quebec French.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-glHAzXi_M

My kids have grown up francophone in Quebec. They can understand and speak English but it's definitely their second language.

They can't really tell your average Anglo-Canadian apart from an American with a fairly neutral accent. Someone with a strong Southern or New Yawk accent, yes. (My wife and I, who grew up in Anglo-Canada, are better at this than they are but we still aren't 100%.)

My kids can tell a British accent apart from a (North) American accent fairly easily, but not so much British from say Australian.

They of course are pretty good at identifying the various francophone accents from Canada and around the world.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

I can't imagine any Anglo-Canadian under 60 thinking RP is something other than a foreign curiosity. It is so completely unnatural in a North American context; there is literally no life experience available on the continent that could produce an RP speaker.

But it sounds so much bettah! Some accents are more attractive than others, reflecting class, education, perceived authority, communication skills, etc.. Perhaps the mid 20th century filmmakers wanted to appeal to a broader audience and not sound so provincial, by adopting an accent that was more clearly understood.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Architype

But it sounds so much bettah! Some accents are more attractive than others, reflecting class, education, perceived authority, communication skills, etc.. Perhaps the mid 20th century filmmakers wanted to appeal to a broader audience and not sound so provincial, by adopting an accent that was more clearly understood.

I love those old Hollywood movies from the Thirties and Forties - people using that fake Mid-Atlantic accent. It did sound more posh and I think it wasn’t limited to Hollywood - I think it was used by some of the wealthy NYC/New England types of that time. I’m not sure why it went out of style (greater realism post WW2?).

I was just reading on-line that the Canadian equivalent, used by the upper classes, was known as “Canadian Dainty”. You hear it sometimes in clips of politicians back in the first half of the century, and in old CBC radio programs.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by esquire

I have never heard anyone ever say aboot the way that guy does. There is no way that is natural... 100% affectation.

Sure,,He may of exaggerated on certain words, but I think he pretty much nailed the general accent and some phrases IMO.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by Acajack

My kids have grown up francophone in Quebec. They can understand and speak English but it's definitely their second language.

They can't really tell your average Anglo-Canadian apart from an American with a fairly neutral accent. Someone with a strong Southern or New Yawk accent, yes. (My wife and I, who grew up in Anglo-Canada, are better at this than they are but we still aren't 100%.)

My kids can tell a British accent apart from a (North) American accent fairly easily, but not so much British from say Australian.

They of course are pretty good at identifying the various francophone accents from Canada and around the world.

That makes sense. I'm surprised that your kids can't pick out a New England or Newfoundland accent though..I'm not francophone but another accent I can hear is a Haitian accent when they speak French..

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Razor

That makes sense. I'm surprised that your kids can't pick out a New England or Newfoundland accent though..I'm not francophone but another accent I can hear is a Haitian accent when they speak French..

They can probably pick those out as well.

But someone from Toronto or Salt Lake City sounds the same to them.