Why do Southerners have a drawl?

http://deltafarmpress.com/ ^ | 9/14/15 | David Bennett

[Kirkwood]

When “This Old House” was first broadcast nationally, the rest of the country couldn’t understand the heavy Boston accents of Norm and the rest of the crew. “Cut the board with a saw” sounded like “Caughd da bauhd widda sawyr”.

[jjsheridan5]

Everyone here noted that the idiot didn’t answer his own question.

I have often wondered if it isn't similar to the reason that the Australian accent (supposedly) developed. The Australian accent developed as the result of the hot, dry, dusty air, and the fact that it dissuades deep generation of sound, and also emphasized economy of breath. I have no idea if that hypothesis is true, but it does seem to make sense. I wonder if the extreme heat and dampness of the south affected speech patterns.

[chasio649]

Do you have any idea how comical some Northern accents sound to Southerners?

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Nose to horizontal to even acknowledge your question....I would presume....and i don’t personally find them comical....been around too many good folk from the north...just gonna have the haters and elitist as usual.

[sparklite2]

“Don’t take poverty away from poor folks.
Good lord, man, it’s all they’ve got!”

[sparklite2]

And the award for ugliest American accent goes to ...

New Jersey, as spoken around Elizabeth/Newark.
It’s a degraded form of what Archie Bunker spoke.

[Kirkwood]

A friend from Columbia once told me that Mexicans speak a “hillbilly” form of Spanish (her words) that sounds awful to the rest of the people from South and Central America and to people from Spain. I can’t tell the difference, but she could easily pick out where spanish-speaking people were born or how they learned spanish as a second language.

[W.]

Lima is full of naggers and hillbillies. I am neither, thank you very much. The hillbillies I knew there were thieves, liars, and constantly tried to screw your girlfriend in a heartbeat. The only good thing about Lima is the Lima Army Tank Plant [M1A1 Abrams]. I was born there in St. Rita’s hospital, and I’m glad I’m long gone. What a dump.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Right. There are often variations in usage. When I was a kid, my father would frequently use the word “poke” for “paper bag.” My mother always seemed offended by that and told him not to say it He diid anyway. I never understood the problem until I learned that “poke” is also used for “scrotum.”

[dljordan]

“They’ll hate it and deny it, but it is from the huge influx of African slaves and a southern drawl is simply African English of the 1800s.”

You are so full of shit it’s not even funny.

[tet68]

Ya got to put it in the 710 cap, or so the blond said.

[N. Theknow]

The short answer: Because their parents did.

As they say in Southern Germany, "Dawnker-Shane!"

[W.]

That was funny, I rented a VHS of This Old House, it was so old, Richard Trethewy had hair!

[Dr. Sivana]

Maybe they’re just joking. Everytime a stranger comes up, they pretend to communicate this way to pull their leg, because they’re not actually interested in conversing w/strangers.

[CatherineofAragon]

"They’ll hate it and deny it,

Is that right?

but it is from the huge influx of African slaves and a southern drawl is simply African English of the 1800s."

No. Linguistically, the Southern accent is most closely related to the British accent, which might explain why, IMO, English actors tend to do excellent Southern impersonations.

American actors usually screw them up.

[sportutegrl]

I’m from Louisiana. I was attracted to my husband because of his weird accent. (He is from New Hampshire). Of course, I speak without accent, like all of my friends and family in Louisiana. But that Yankee accent takes some getting used to.

[W.]

Poke Salad Annie? [The song]

[CatherineofAragon]

I had a Yankee once say to me, “Oh, you don’t have much of an accent at all”, in an approving tone.

I said, “Well, thanks for telling me. I guess I’ll have to work on that, won’t I?”

[CatherineofAragon]

"Do you troll everything dumbass?"

LOL

[sportutegrl]

“You guys” is clearly sexist. A Southern Gentleman would never insult the Ladies by implying they are not included. The problem resides in the plural but singular sounding, “you”.

[CatherineofAragon]

"Castilians have a lisp."

Rubio must have some Castilian in him.