Why do the Mannings sound like they have a Different accent ?? (1 Viewer)

[hardhead233]

I want to clarify my earlier post a little bit. First of all, none of my comments were or are directed at anyone on the forum. When referring to people who may consider an accent when judging whether someone is a true New Orleanian, I am speaking of people I've encountered growing up in the city.

I am well aware of the dynamics that are related to the issue of why the various accents are found more in the areas surrounding the city than in the city itself. Sure, they may have originated in the city, but this does not change the fact that it is becoming increasingly absurd to use accent as a gauge of one's local identity (again, I'm not saying anyone here has done that). I tend to think that some of the most "New Orleans" people aren't even necessarily from the area--Chris Rose and Drew Brees are a couple famous ones that come to mind. You can probably throw Tom Piazza in there. They're people who are New Orleans in spirit, because they've adopted the city and love it. I'd say they are able to appreciate the city just as well as any native. It would be silly and ignorant to hold their accents and origins against them. They're much more genuine than someone who can trace their roots in the city seven generations back, yet lacks any appreciation or understanding of the city's uniqueness and character, or worse--they don't even know the city!

I would put many things before accent and family origins in my personal gauge of what makes one a New Orleanian, but I think most TRUE New Orleanians would never dispute this. If you have family ties to the city, I think that is something to be proud of, and I think you are lucky to have grown up with people who have hopefully taught you to appreciate your city, but you probably also realize that one of the things that makes New Orleans unique is the fact that New Orleans has always enjoyed an ever-changing cultural makeup, and if we ever froze in time, we'd actually lose uniqueness.

I agree with you 100%. I love when I hear about people from other places coming here to live, and embrace the city because lord knows we need all the good people we can get and hopefully we don't run them off and they stay a long time...

 

[ijsouth]

However there is and always has been a certain animosity/indifference between people from Uptown people and Downtown people. It goes back to the days of when New Orleans was taken over by the U.S.

Very true...that is how the term "neutral ground" came about...the older, "Creole" section - the French Quarter and areas downriver were on one side of Canal, the newer "American" section was on the other, and the "neutral" area met in the middle of Canal.

My dad, who was from Uptown, said that my grandfather, who had his engineering office downtown, never went into the Quarter, except to go to lunch at Galatoire's.

My dad didn't have much of an accent, but part of that might have been due to the fact that he left New Orleans right after college, and didn't return for many years, when his office relocated to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. What's funny is that my mom's Canadian; we ended up in her hometown for Katrina (had to leave the kids there for a while, while I went to work in B.R.)...it had been years since I had been up there...some of my relatives said "you don't have much of an accent, eh?"...I guess they were expecting a twang or something; in the meantime, they all sound like Bob and Doug MacKenzie.

 

[charleygator]

OK here's my take on accents growing up in Louisiana. I was born and lived in Lafayette until I was thirteen. My two best friends and I were wasps and I never realized any accents on any of us before I left. My family moved away and I lost contact with my two friends, then college and moving around the country. About ten years ago I was in Lafayette overnight and I decided to try to contact my two childhood friends. Lo and behold I talked to them on the phone, but they had developed a pretty acute cajun accent. I couldn't believe it. I even mentioned to them that if my family hadn't moved I may have developed one also. Now I'm out in Southern California and not too long ago I was talking to someone and they asked "Are you from Southern Georgia?" I guess whatever environment you are in develops how you speak. Go Saints Go, charleygator

 

[Broadmoor74]

Since this thread has turned into an exploration into the complexities of New Orleans' accents, here's a short, cool read on it.....

http://www.answers.com/topic/yat-new-orleans

 

[NO_born_texan]

I was born and raised in NO East and moved out of the city (to Houston) when I was 13. I don't have and never had a lick of accent, although I can interpret pretty good. I even went to Lafayette for college for 6 years and I don't have the accent. Now, I can do a pretty darn good voice impression and pull it out of the air as if I have been speaking it all my life.
The biggest influence in a person's accent is their parents and extended family.
Peyton and Eli had a Mom and Dad who watched over them growing up and were heavily involved in their lives. That's why their accent is traced back to a Mississippi one.

Archie was the greatest ever when I was growing up leading the Saints to the first ever break-even season. Can't blame a guy for that!

 

[CHI-TOWNSAINT]

People raised in the Uptown areas have distinctly different accents as the rest of NO. I married into a family that is almost entirerly from uptown and they all have the same accent and it is exactly like the Mannings. I have my theory on why their(people uptown) accent is different, but I'll keep that to myself.

 

[msusaintsfan]

speaking of accents, what about the mackel brothers at wdsu? they were nola born and raised, and i cannot for the life of me place that accent they both have. giants. not ji-unts, but jints. does anyone know?

Well I was a communication major in college and I had a heavy New Orleans accent. In one of my classes the professor explained that the "norm" in broadcasting is to have a midwestern accent or no accent at all. She told me I had to lose the accent if I had a chance at getting on the air anywhere other than LA or South MS. I showed her, I'm not even in broadcasting, I design houses...lol

I did lose the accent, but after being home for ten minutes around my parents it comes right back, my wife gets a real kick out of it.

 

[PanicFootball]

Sorry to tangent this, but why don't Americans sound more British? Why do the Australians, Indians, and all of their other colonies have that accent? Even the Canadians have a different sound then we do?

is it the "melting pot" effect?

--
As for Peyton and Eli, I think the family influence cannot be given a lot of credit, but then add Ole Miss and Tennessee and you get what you hear now.


Another example is US goalkeeper Brad Friedel - he's been living in Blackburn, England for some time and to hear him speak its just painful to the ears. Its not a British accent, its not American, its a make your ear's bleed sound.

Okay just had to ask and add.

Carry on.

 

[Broadmoor74]

Sorry to tangent this, but why don't Americans sound more British? Why do the Australians, Indians, and all of their other colonies have that accent? Even the Canadians have a different sound then we do?

is it the "melting pot" effect?

--
As for Peyton and Eli, I think the family influence cannot be given a lot of credit, but then add Ole Miss and Tennessee and you get what you hear now.


Another example is US goalkeeper Brad Friedel - he's been living in Blackburn, England for some time and to hear him speak its just painful to the ears. Its not a British accent, its not American, its a make your ear's bleed sound.

Okay just had to ask and add.

Carry on.

Probably for the same reason Cajuns, French Canadians, Belgians, and the French all sound different. If you separate long enough, and have constant contact with other languages and dialects, your own language in time, will change. The Australians still to this day speak with an overdone Hackney accent because they've had minimal exposure to other languages and dialects since the country's inception.

As for Uptown, old-money residents of Uptown don't talk yatty because 1) they're educated in institutions where the teachers speak proper English and 2) Uptown was originally settled by Protestant Americans, mostly of wealth. The richer parts of Uptown have not had the influx of the Germans, Italians, or Irish that other parts of the city had. However, generally speaking, the further away from the river you go (the less afluent the neighborhood), the thicker the N.O. accent. So if you head more towards Broadmoor and Mid-City, you'll find the N.O. accent, even though you'll still be Uptown.

 

[wbbigtymer]

If you separate long enough, and have constant contact with other languages and dialects, your own language in time, will change.

This is very true. Aside from accents, there are some dialects found in New Orleans that I guarantee many people would could hardly understand. A lot of New Orleanians may not speak much differently than people from other parts of the country, but we have a MUCH easier time understanding a lot of the dialects found here than someone else would. To be honest, I wouldn't rule out "new" New Orleans dialects/accents (not really new, but unique and different from what you would have found previously) being formed during our lifetime.

 

[Broadmoor74]

This is very true. Aside from accents, there are some dialects found in New Orleans that I guarantee many people would could hardly understand. A lot of New Orleanians may not speak much differently than people from other parts of the country, but we have a MUCH easier time understanding a lot of the dialects found here than someone else would. To be honest, I wouldn't rule out "new" New Orleans dialects/accents (not really new, but unique and different from what you would have found previously) being formed during our lifetime.

In other words, "Where y'at, bra?" will turn into "Que pasa, homes?"

 

[NO_born_texan]

We had a thread about how you pronounce New Orleans several years back. Anyone want to dig that one up? It's probably on the old board several archives ago. That was a hoot!
That's the only word that when I say it, you know I'm from there!
That and the fact that I know when you ask me "Where y'at?" I know you asking me how I'm doing, not my general location.