Irish Speak

[oleorezinator]

https://youtu.be/4rb0HPDnc8Y

[benhall.1]

https://youtu.be/4rb0HPDnc8Y

I watched all of that. I don't know who the guy is, but it was very interesting. There didn't seem to be any real conclusion, that I could find, other than that both the Southern American accent and any and every British accent have moved considerably since Shakespeare's day, and don't really bear any resemblance to each other or to Shakespeare's English any more, even though some changes have occurred almost in parallel.

[Nanohedron]

His Southern US accent was remarkably good. BUT: I am compelled to point out that it's AN accent. The South has many regional ones, and while all can be readily identified as Southern, none is THE accent; his was quite nasal, and not all Southern accents are like that, nor is pronunciation universal throughout the South. I noticed that some in the comments section pinpointed, among others, eastern Tennessee/western South Carolina, but one comment said that the rhythm was wrong. But rhythm aside, I was very impressed, and to his credit the Southerners were, too.

[Michael w6]

This means Americans (´Murcans ) pronounce the letter ´r´ every time it is in the spelling, and never when it is not. *

I returned to this post out of curiosity. I suspect the quote above is backwards. People add and "r" when it is not there, especially after an "a." e.g. "idear" for "idea."

[WaltP]

Interesting. Which regional accent is that? We don't do that over here on the West coast.

[Michael w6]

I have heard it in people I've known from NY. Specifically where in NY I don't recall.

[Nanohedron]

This means Americans (´Murcans ) pronounce the letter ´r´ every time it is in the spelling, and never when it is not. *

I prefer the spelling "'Merkin".

I suspect the quote above is backwards. People add and "r" when it is not there, especially after an "a." e.g. "idear" for "idea."

People? I sure don't. You wouldn't normally hear it in the Midwest at all, and in fact I've only heard such pronunciation from people from the east of the nation. Elsewhere: nope.

[an seanduine]

Despite JFK´s use of the Berlin-centric dialect ¨Ich bin ein Berliner¨, he was well known for such downeasternisms as Americker, and idear. Altho´ I never heard him say ¨thutty¨ for ¨thirty¨.

Bob

[benhall.1]

Despite JFK´s use of the Berlin-centric dialect ¨Ich bin ein Berliner¨

I was going to point out the supposed amusement that that speech caused but, having looked it up, I see that it's partially at least an urban myth.

[an seanduine]

Yes, Ben, I´ve been told one thing people don´t get is the odd linguistic tension between Berliners and the rest of Germany. A friend´s German War bride described the Berliner accent and attitude similar to that of NY Brooklynese. And no, JFK was not saying he was a kind of pastry. The crowd at ´The Wall´ loved it.

Bob

[Michael w6]

People? I sure don't. People, yes, at least some people. It is rare to hear a cat or dog speak. Though Hinkley had a different opinion on this.

[Nanohedron]

It is rare to hear a cat or dog speak. Though Hinkley had a different opinion on this.

Not with speech, of course, but all my cats have been great communicators. All one has to do is pay attention. Although I did have a de-tailed ginger tom - Fido was his name - who sort of spoke: When it was time for bed, I'd say "Nigh-nigh" to him, and he'd say "Nigh-nigh" right back. That was uncanny.

And I see that you still haven't yet adopted the practice of availing yourself of the quote functions.

[chas]

People? I sure don't. You wouldn't normally hear it in the Midwest at all, and in fact I've only heard such pronunciation from people from the east of the nation. Elsewhere: nope.

It's a Northeastern thing. The worst offenders are in Vermont.

Also, listen to Sarah Brightman sing "Phantom of the Opera." She does it too:

The Phantom of the Operer is there inside my mind

[benhall.1]

Also, listen to Sarah Brightman sing "Phantom of the Opera." She does it too:

The Phantom of the Operer is there inside my mind

She absolutely definitely doesn't. I've just had to listen again. Why on Earth would someone so quintessentially English pronounce something like that? And, in fact, she doesn't. Her diction and pronunciation are perfect, and she pronounces each syllable - o (beautiful, round 'O) - per (so that you can hear the 'e') - a. That's it. No 'r' on the end at all.

[Nanohedron]

Also, listen to Sarah Brightman sing "Phantom of the Opera." She does it too:

The Phantom of the Operer is there inside my mind

She absolutely definitely doesn't. I've just had to listen again.

I agree with Ben on this one.

Why on Earth would someone so quintessentially English pronounce something like that?

That, my friend, is a different issue entirely. I hear many a rhoticized ending A out of certain UK accents - not all, of course - mainly where an ending A precedes another vowel, but it can be stand-alone, too. I've heard Right Ponders saying words like "yoga" and pronouncing it "yoger" (this comparison uses my Midwest US pronunciation to inform the spelling, where the lone A in the first is often reduced to a schwa, and the R in the second is pronounced: an alveolar/retroflex sound called a rhotic approximant). You'll hear it in the States, too, but it's less prevalent; I associate it with certain Eastern US accents, notably New England as chas has indicated. In my own accent, certain vowel combinations (A and O, for example) are usually separated by beginning the next with with a light glottal stop, so a rhotic separation of vowels really stands out to my ear.