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There's no such thing as a Brooklyn accent... — Brooklynian

There's no such thing as a Brooklyn accent...

dailyheights
dailyheights
edited November -1 in Brooklyn and Beyond

... and for that matter, all the accents are disappearing:

'If These Knishes Could Talk': Is the New York Accent Disappearing?

http://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/culture/if-these-knishes-could-talk-the-disappearing-new-york-accent/

Heather Quinlan spent three years producing a documentary about how New Yorkers "tawk."

Comments

  • stacey
    stacey

    Sounds interesting. Although I never knew I had a New York accent until I went out of NY. I also remember the first time I heard an African American person with a British accent. I was mesmerized by it.

  • rezist
    rezist

    Very interesting. Perhaps this could explain why my cousins. who's side of the family had been living here since their boat landed, speak with no accent. Even though they've lived in BK their entire lives. The neighborhoods they grew up in were very diverse.

    I disagree with the title and the idea that accents are simply derived from one's ethnic group. There are several different accents all over ny state and in many cases the ethnic history/break up of those areas have near identical ethnic demographics.

    Having grown up in both Rochester and Brooklyn I do notice words as I say them and how they sound different from others pronunciation. I don't have and accent but I do pronounce many words with ( I guess ) accents from upstate/western ny as well as the nyc area.

    Can't wait to see this film. Thanks dailyheights

  • youbetcha
    youbetcha

    Dare wuz a Brooklyn accent because my fodder usta tawk just like da beginning of dis here Thomas Wolfe story:

    "Dere’s no guy livin’ dat knows Brooklyn t’roo an’ t’roo, because it’d take a guy a lifetime just to find his way aroun’ duh goddam town.

    So like I say, I’m waitin’ for my train t’come when I sees dis big guy standin’ deh - dis is duh foist I eveh see of him. Well, he’s lookin’ wild, y’know, an’ I can see dat he’s had plenty, but still he’s holdin’ it; he talks good an’ is walkin’ straight enough. So den, dis big guy steps up to a little guy dat’s standin’ deh, an’ says, “How d’yuh get t’ Eighteent’ Avenoo an’ Sixty-sevent’ Street?” he says.

    “Jesus! Yuh got me, chief,” duh little guy says to him. “I ain’t been heah long myself. Where is duh place?” he says. “Out in duh Flatbush section somewhere?”

    “Nah,” duh big guy says. “it’s out in Bensonhoist. But I was neveh deh befoeh. How d’yuh get deh?” . . ."

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