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Friday, March 17, 2023

IRISH INFLUENCE ON AMERICAN ACCENTS?

 Newser just had an article regarding St. Patrick's Day, the day Irish celebrate.  It noted the most Irish American cities, beginning with New York City, and Chicago, followed by Boston.  New Orleans was not on the top 10 list.  I added a comment on how I thought the Irish had influenced the language of both New Orleans and Brooklyn, and in the same way.  Perhaps I am wrong, or not?  Hugh

 
New Orleans did not have the usual Southern accent; the NO accent was much more like the Brooklyn accent of old. Aw my Gawd. Lawdy Miss Claudie, Fats Domino sang of when we're apawt, and that would rhyme with my big hawt. Some might call me an old fought. One too tree. it's easy for da goils. Oil put erl in da caw. Ya rench your hands afta ya bin to da terlet. How long ta berl da water?  And in the 1986 film, "The Big Easy," Dennis Quaid often calls Ellen Barkin "dawlin''. A part of New Orleans was called the Irish Channel, as many Irish arrived as ballast on ships from the UK during the potato famine, 1840s & 50s. The Irish new comers probably changed the accents of both Brooklyn and New Orleans about the same time and in the same way.  In the North it was Brooklynese; in New Orleans, we were Yats, for Where are you at?  a form of Hello, Where yat?

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