They talk like they're from Brooklyn in part because the same ethnic groups that settled in Brooklyn and such places settled in New Orleans. Lots of Irish and Italians in part.
French died out in NO before WWII, but there's still a trace, just a trace of French in some of the pronunciation as well.
But it varies according to class, where you grew up at, which schools you went to, and ethnic background how you'll sound.
Although some New Orleanians may have come from Cajun backgrounds, New Orleanians are NOT, as a whole, Cajun. The Cajun French is a rural dialect of French, and isn't the dialect that was mostly spoken in NO...although both were somewhat creolized by their speakers.
New Orleans is an amalgram of French, Spanish, Africans, often with a first stop in Haiti or other french islands, Americans of a variety of backgrounds, and successive waves of immigrants who settled there: German, Italian, Irish, and laately Vietnamese. Central America is represented there a bit, too.
Upperclass New Orleanians who went to the right schools have an accent a little reminiscent of Natchez, but not as broad.
Working class whites are as likely to say to their kid coming in, "Where ya at, Heart? Stay off the bankette and wash the dishes in the zink. Hang these clothes up in da chiffarobe. When you're done, you can go getta cold drink. Here's a dolla and a silver dime, that ougtta do it. I'm gonna go make groceries, cause we're outta may-o-naise and I wanna make po-boys for dinna tonight. First, though, I'm going by your Ahhnt's house. We'll have swimps tomorra when I get some more erl to fry with."
Bankette is a side walk. Zink is a sink, and a chiffarobe is a wardrobe. A silver dime is a dime coin.
Make groceries is a left over from French, which means to go shopping. You go by someone's house when you go to their house.
It's linguistically an interesting mix.
Very well explained on the accents. You have helped make this thread an educational event. Whoever would have thought we would all be learning so much about New Orleans on all of these threads....their languages/accents, history, Ward 9, bridges, levee boards, local politicians ....to name a few. :o)
Thanks
"Working class whites are as likely to say to their kid coming in, "Where ya at, Heart? Stay off the bankette and wash the dishes in the zink. Hang these clothes up in da chiffarobe. When you're done, you can go getta cold drink. Here's a dolla and a silver dime, that ougtta do it. I'm gonna go make groceries, cause we're outta may-o-naise and I wanna make po-boys for dinna tonight. First, though, I'm going by your Ahhnt's house. We'll have swimps tomorra when I get some more erl to fry with."
This is much like the accents on Galveston Island. Those who were B.O.I (born on the island).
Re #71: fascinating post!