Speech pattern and typographical variations across Canada

[vid]

"From German, I get the sentence-ending interrogative 'oder?' which roughly translates to '...or is it something else?'; So I'll often catch myself saying things like 'Do you want coffee, or?'"

I do that all the time.

[Aylmer]

Huh. I'd never heard it used until I came back.

Also - I need some feedback from you guys: I use 'there' after nouns a lot, even when things aren't within sight.

"Could you run to the store there and get those berries there?"
"Ooh, I really liked that film there."

Now, is that something used elsewhere as well?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Aylmer

Huh. I'd never heard it used until I came back.

Also - I need some feedback from you guys: I use 'there' after nouns a lot, even when things aren't within sight.

"Could you run to the store there and get those berries there?"
"Ooh, I really liked that film there."

Now, is that something used elsewhere as well?

Pretty sure it's a French influence (with the word là).

J'ai bien aimé ce film-là.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Aylmer

I like the Québec English accent's quirks like the differentiation between 'Merry' and 'Marry' (I don't know of any other accent that does that) and the use of some words in a French way (Close the lights; The commerces on Princiaple; Me I like that when you cook).

My favourite is ''pass the vacuum''.

[vid]

Originally Posted by Aylmer

Huh. I'd never heard it used until I came back.

Also - I need some feedback from you guys: I use 'there' after nouns a lot, even when things aren't within sight.

"Could you run to the store there and get those berries there?"
"Ooh, I really liked that film there."

Now, is that something used elsewhere as well?

Older people say that sometimes here. It's either "that/those *noun* there" or "that/those there *noun*".

[SignalHillHiker]

I noticed in Winnipeg that people call the burning part of a cigarette a "cherry". I'd only ever heard it called a "heater", but now I hear "cherry" here all the time too.

Adding "sure" to the beginning of sentences is normal here also, and in Ireland.

Here's a beautiful example of the everyday St. John's accent from a local TV show. This is a lower class accent, like mine, but they're a middle class family. These clips do a great job at showing the sense of humour in how we speak - it makes me laugh even apart from the jokes.

• Video Link

"Oh yeah? No... like the time, I s'pose you didn't have the ambulance up on two wheels the time we were bringing missus in to the Mental, and she goin' cracked, and you said if she didn't quiet the fuck down you were gonna roll this Jesus rig and kill all aboard." Just perfect. Reminds of my mother.

[kool maudit]

Originally Posted by Aylmer

I like the Québec English accent's quirks like the differentiation between 'Merry' and 'Marry'

those two words sound different in a lot of north american dialects. for me, the first is closer to "m - air - ee" while the second approaches "m - ah -ree". the a makes a flatter sound than the e.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

those two words sound different in a lot of north american dialects. for me, the first is closer to "m - air - ee" while the second approaches "m - ah -ree". the a makes a flatter sound than the e.

In southern Ontario, they'd sound identical. Also no difference between "ant" and "aunt", although in my own family they were always all referred to as "Auntie (insert first name here)".

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

In southern Ontario, they'd sound identical. Also no difference between "ant" and "aunt", although in my own family they were always all referred to as "Auntie (insert first name here)".

Merry and Marry are slightly different to me but I'm not sure if it's actually audible. But I am definitely doing something slightly different internally.

Ant and Aunt are identical unless I'm reading.

[Aylmer]

For me:

Merry= Mehri ('eh' as in 'fend')
Marry= Mahri ('ah' as in 'mat')

Aunt= Ãnt (kinda like the nasal 'a' as in the French 'camp')
Ant = Ahnt

[middeljohn]

Ant and aunt are identical for me.

One thing I've noticed watching those accent tage videos is the word "pecan" varies across Canada.

In Southern Ontario it's PEE-can, in Western Canada it seems to be puh-CAN.

How do you guys say "probably"?

I'm going to start paying attention to that because I'm not sure if I say it the same way as most Southern Ontarians. I say PROBLY, but I've seen videos from.across the country where people actually pronounce every syllable, so PRO-BAB-LY.

Another interesting one is "caramel". Most Canadians say CARE-A-MEL, but I saw a couple where people say CAHR-MEL. In Windsor I've noticed people saying it that way.

[SignalHillHiker]

Peh-can, not PEE-can nor Puh-can.

Prah-ably.

Cahr-a-mel.

[middeljohn]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Peh-can, not PEE-can nor Puh-can.

Prah-ably.

Cahr-a-mel.

For pecan, what I meant was that same sound people make when they say "uh". Do you put emphasis on/raise the first or second syllable? I put it on he first.

And yes, I should have clarified "probably", I say PRAHB-LY.

Interesting way of saying caramel you got there.

[Acajack]

''Prolly'' for probably makes me wince

As does ''feb-ree'' for the month we are currently in.

[kwoldtimer]

I've heard people from Nova Scotia say "ahnt" and it seems to be the standard pronunciation in the States.

"PEE-can" and "pee-CAN" drive Southerners right round the bend. They will often point out that it's "puh-CAHN". I figure they should know, right?

Re "probably", I say probably. To me, "probly" just sounds lazy, like "pitcher" for picture.

I don't know if I'm alone on this, but for me "CARE-a-mel" and "CAHR-mel" are two different things. The first one is a sauce or flavour and the second one is a type of hard candy.

[middeljohn]

It feels so awkward say two Bs after another though, I think just saying one of them is suffice

[SignalHillHiker]

It depends on if you're enunciating as well.

If I'm reading aloud, I pronounce everything perfectly, just, obviously, in my accent.

If I'm just talking, it's relaxed.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

It depends on if you're enunciating as well.

If I'm reading aloud, I pronounce everything perfectly, just, obviously, in my accent.

If I'm just talking, it's relaxed.

Repeat after me, darling. "In Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen".

I remember someone teasing me once years ago because I sometimes say "How do you do?" when being introduced to someone rather than "Howjado" or whatever!

[Acajack]

More linguistic pet peeves:

"artic" for arctic

"noo-kew-lar" for nuclear

But I am probably just intolerant like many second-language speakers are. I took the time to learn a language, and I will be damned if I am not going to speak it right.

Native speakers give themselves more slack.

We get that in French too, and some of the best French (or at least most precisely pronounced) I hear on a regular basis comes out of the mouths of people from Africa and the Middle East.

[kwoldtimer]

Whenever I hear "noo-kew-lar" I think of George W Bush. It is not pleasant.

How do people pronounce "new", "due", and the first syllable of "student"? I make them rhyme with "few", but most people around here tend to make them rhyme with "moo". In my case, I think it is something that developed while living abroad.