Saturday, June 10, 2006

Southern accents

Amanda and I recently started a discussion about how we want Jadyn's voice to sound, as if we ultimately have anything to do with it.
This discussion centers on the fact we've heard some accents of people native to this region of Mississippi who sound, well, not so braite.
Remember, I said, some. Many of our friends who are intelligent and educated do not sound stewpid, and there are some Southern accents - especially female ones - which are absolutely delightful to the ears.
And also keep in mind that I'm a (proud) Southerner too and am prone to lapse, from time to time, into verbal laziness.
But unfortunately, the "eeit sownded lahk uh frate trane" version of Southern dialects is alive and well.
I want Jadyn to have a Southern accent, but Amanda, who is from the Amish-Mennonite region of Pennsylvania, isn't sold.
While we haven't devised an official plan for this, I'm hoping she'll develop one of those genteel, smart-sounding accents that would "do us all proud."
We have time. And we have friends around, who, if they'll cooperate, will bring us to the right accent for Jadyn.
As much as any of us have anything to do with it.

1 comment:

Len said...

Good luck on that one. Our kids sounded like Yankees via CT for forever but recently (after a year of living in TX) they are losing some of what we loved hearing. And my oldest was so mad at herself for saying "big ol" about something the other day. :-)