[Yaelle]

Very interesting. I love the regional accent developments in the USA. The French and African influence in the south, mid European in the east, the spreading of the vowels as the settlers trod west, the Scandinavian influence still seen in the north and Canada. And my accent came from broadcasting. In the 1930s everyone in Los Angeles spoke English with an American twang, but broadcasting and the entertainment industry flattened out our vowels over the next three or so decades.

[alexander_busek]

In the 1930s everyone in Los Angeles spoke English with an American twang,

Can you perhaps explain why people from L.A. used (in the 30s and 40s) to pronounce the name of their city "Los AN-gel-eez" (with a hard "g"), while today it is pronounced "Los AN-jel-iss?"

Likewise Honolulu: Used to be pronounced "Hon-uh-LOO-luh," and is now pronounced "Hon-uh-LOO-LOO."

Regards,

[SoCal Pubbie]

I wish my parents were still around to ask them if your statement is true. My father was born in East Baskersfield in 1915 and graduated from Maricopa High School. My mother was born outside Portland, Oregon the same year, and moved to Los Angeles around 1919. She was moved around LA a lot as a young girl and finally graduated from Eagle Rock High in 1933.

Neither had any twang that I recall. My father tended to pronounce “creek” as “krik” but that's about it. My mother always pronounced “Brea” as “Breeya” but again that's the only anomaly I remember. She did have an older sister who added “R” to words like pronouncing “Washington” as “Warshington.”

I do know that Southern California was so full of Midwestern transplants that Los Angeles was derisively called “Double Dubuque.” I always thought that the flat Midwestern accent was the basis for the standard media style.

[mad_as_he$$]

In the 90’s I was on a business trip to Atlanta with a colleague that lived in Boston for most of his life. It was hysterical watching him and a server with a heavy Southern drawl at a Shoney’s trying to communicate.

[wardaddy]

African influence in the south for whites is some words mostly about food

More than accent

Except wiggers

French accent in South is of course north central gulf coast and remnants maybe from Huguenots in the Carolinas

Higher southern accents in Deep South morphed from second and third son folks wanting to sound more Gentry and others following suit

Country southern just didn’t bother

Country accent and southern overlap but are largely class or self motivation defined

Mathew McConahey or Sela Ward is higher southern accent

Billy Bob Thornton or Waylon is country

Elvis is higher thanks to momma