Is Southern English a dialect?

Is Southern English a dialect?

Southern American English (SAE) is the most widely recognized regional dialect of American English, but as most of its speakers know, widespread recognition is a mixed blessing. SAE is also the regional dialect that is most negatively evaluated.

Where did the Southern drawl accent come from?

The Southern accent derives from their people original language from the British Isles. The sound progressed and changed as the people moved westward. When groups were more isolated, the accents stayed closer to the original, when in an area of other accents, such as New Orleans, those accents merged with their own.

What are features of the Southern dialect?

It is the kind that you often hear in various media like films and TV. It features non-rhotic speech, gliding vowels, and elongated pronunciation of vowels.

Why does a Southern drawl sound uneducated to some?

Studies have shown that whether you are from the North or South, a Southern twang pegs the speaker as comparatively dimwitted, but also likely to be a nicer person than folks who speak like a Yankee.

Can you develop a Southern accent?

To get a true Southern accent you have to be born here, as is the case with any other regional accent. People who come here from other parts of the country or the world can, after some years, vaguely approximate a southern accent, but most don’t bother.

How many Southern dialects are there?

The Southern accent (which is actually about 7 distinct accents) is also very well-known in the United States and one of the more obvious dialects. It can be hard to differentiate which Southern accent someone might have, unless you’re actually from this area.

What does it mean to speak with a drawl?

: to speak slowly with vowels greatly prolonged. transitive verb. : to utter in a slow lengthened tone. drawl.

Can you develop a Southern accent later in life?

What does it mean when people say Southern drawl?

The thing that people notice most often is the southern drawl. Drawl mostly means that the sounds are drawn out, especially vowel sounds, but sometimes includes an extra schwa sound in some pronunciations. But there is much more to it than that.

What are the differences between the different southern dialects?

There are many other pronunciation differences. There are many little things that make up the different Southern dialects. The thing that people notice most often is the southern drawl. Drawl mostly means that the sounds are drawn out, especially vowel sounds, but sometimes includes an extra schwa sound in some pronunciations.

Why do Southern Americans have such a Southern accent?

From my reading, it is pretty clear that much of what is considered a southern accent is actually the way that English was used long ago but the southern states had less influence from later immigrants to the US. Because of the relative isolation we retained more of the old pronunciations from the original English and Scots-Irish immigrants.

Is the Southern twang a sign of a dimwitted accent?

Studies have shown that whether you are from the North or South, a Southern twang pegs the speaker as comparatively dimwitted, but also likely to be a nicer person than folks who speak like a Yankee. Stereotypes based on accent are deep rooted and they have profound consequences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weARTjjE48I