Comments on: Australian accents: Speaking Our Language

By: steve at the pub

steve at the pub — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:30:50 +0000

New South Welshmen, as you say UteMan, may have ruined the language, but only their Mexican dialect, they havn’t touched my language.

By: Ute Man

Ute Man — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:04:36 +0000

steve at the pub wrote:

I haven’t heard an accent I recognise as my own on TV, ever.

Nuh. Me eever.

I reckon them sheep shaggers rooned the langwich.

By: steve at the pub

steve at the pub — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:44:51 +0000

The TV news is good for some strange pronunciations.

“Gulled Coast” indeed!

The most noticeable is the “O” sound with a “W” following it, so that “home” sounds like “howme”.

On top of that, the TV has a very general trend to the NZ flattened vowels.

Perhaps this is a reflection of the southern focus in the electronic media. (Then again, the south-east of Australia IS closer to NZ geographically than it is to much of Australia)

I haven’t heard an accent I recognise as my own on TV, ever.

By: Helen

Helen — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:11:55 +0000

I have a Canadian friend who pointed out the ‘Alvis’ Melbourne pronunciation. It cracked him up.

That’s very cheeky of him Fine, considering they do that “aboot” thing!

Most people here have already seen the blog Language Log, but anyone who hasn’t I recommend it very highly – it’s fascinating.

By: FDB

FDB — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 23:26:34 +0000

*ahem*

By: You must be JoKing

You must be JoKing — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 23:17:17 +0000

Yairs, except that nu-clear is closer to a 2-syllable word than nu-cu-lar. I think it’s the reverse – something referring to particle physics and power generation/global destruction must be all sciency and therefore a long word.

Plus the -ular ending evokes lots of sciency words – temporo-mandibular, testicular. I’m sure that’s not all but my brainular function is at Monday morning levels.

By: Geoff Honnor

Geoff Honnor — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:53:12 +0000

“Anything’s better than NOO-kya-la for NU-cle-a. Guess who … but not for much longer … hehe’

Noo kyala is actually a very common pronunciation – particularly in the southern US. However, many Australian english speakers have difficulty with it as well. Anthony Albanese comes to mind.

It’s maybe related to people trying to compress a three syllable word – nuc le ar – into two.

By: Lefty E

Lefty E — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:39:20 +0000

On related notes: I’ve never like the construction common in AU “try AND do …” etc. You’ll even see it written.

Surely its “try to…”.

By: Kate Foy

Kate Foy — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:39:22 +0000

Anything’s better than NOO-kya-la for NU-cle-a. Guess who … but not for much longer … hehe.

And please … TERR-iss for TERR-uh-rist?

Many of these comments are about poor pronunciation … slack musculature in the service of clarity. Let’s hear it for clear speech whatever the accent.

By: duh daaahh

duh daaahh — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:08:20 +0000

there is indeed a chapter on Indigenous and migrant accents. The distinction here, he says, is that they’re reactions to something already established and dominant so you don’t get the same effect in the second generation as with the establishment of the accent originally. He also thinks the only significantly variant accent is from the Lebanese community – which surprised me as well.

I wont bother with the book. If your above summary is accurate ( I trust it is) Moore has no idea.