Where does the Yooper accent come from?

Where does the Yooper accent come from?

Yooper is a form of North Central American English mostly spoken in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which gives the dialect its name (from “U.P.” for Upper Peninsula). The dialect is also found in many northern areas of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and largely in Northeast Wisconsin.

What do Yoopers say?

‘Yoopernese’ is the dialect you’ll hear in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The accent is heavily influenced by the area’s Scandinavian immigrants, so they say ‘yah’ instead of yeah, “d” for “th” (“dere” for there, “dat” for “that”) and ‘eh’ at the end of most sentences.

Do Yoopers have accents?

The poll placed the Yooper accent at No. 14, ahead of accents like Tennessee’s and San Francisco’s. Here’s what they had to say about our neighbors from across the bridge: “Yoopernese” is the dialect you’ll hear in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Why are they called Yoopers?

Did you know? The word Yooper comes from the common nickname of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—the “U.P.”—and the etymology requires the same follow-up question that a challenging joke does: “Get it?” If you’re not there yet, try saying them both out loud: Yooper, U.P.

Why do Minnesotans sound Canadian?

Canadian accents stick out to me because their diphthongs and vowel-fronting is influenced by older varieties of French, Scots, and Irish, whereas the vowels of Minnesotan are influenced mostly by German, Scandinavian, and Native American languages.

What is a Yooper from Michigan?

“A Yooper is a person who is native to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. A person who will help his/her neighbor and understands the meaning of the word “hospitality”.

What are Fudgies in Michigan?

“Fudgies are tourists who spend time up north where they can buy fudge,” Curzan explains. She adds more Michigan expertise with the comment, “We know that ‘up north’ is northern Michigan, but not the Upper Peninsula.”

How long do you have to live in the up to be a Yooper?

Thankfully, for many, the definition does not rule out those not born in the Upper Peninsula. However, the strict Yoopers will say that you have to be born in the Upper Peninsula to be considered a true Yooper, while others say you have to live there for at least ten years.

What’s a Minnesota accent?

North-Central American English (in the United States, also known as the Upper Midwestern or North-Central dialect and stereotypically recognized as a Minnesota or Wisconsin accent) is an American English dialect native to the Upper Midwestern United States, an area that somewhat overlaps with speakers of the separate …

What is a uper?

Someone from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

How do you become a Yooper?

However, the strict Yoopers will say that you have to be born in the Upper Peninsula to be considered a true Yooper, while others say you have to live there for at least ten years. It’s also common notion that you have to live in New York City for at least ten years to become a true New Yorker.

What is a Minnesota goodbye?

The ‘Minnesota Goodbye’ is essentially a long, drawn-out phenomenon that extends the process of saying goodbye into one that’s much longer than it really needs to be.

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