Author Topic: aboot canadian pronunciation (Read 7257 times)

upperlake04 · « **Reply #25 on:** March 17, 2006, 06:38:58 PM »

Way to go gordon - a real live person who says aboot. Please do ask the boss where he is from and why he talks funny - if he is from Nova Scotia where 6pkrunner says people of Scottish ancestry might say aboot, we might have it. Are there sohcers in Scotland? Big opportunity here to step up, solve this question and be a hero.

Gordon · « **Reply #26 on:** March 18, 2006, 06:45:02 AM »

Check this out, it's actually pretty interesting! The second section down discusses the finer points of Canadian pronunciation and goes into some depth on the whole about/aboot topic. Now that I've read that and thought about it, I think what I'm hearing might be more like "abOAt" rather than "abOOt". Whereas most Americans say "abOWt". Is anybody sick of this yet, 'cause I can just keep going.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_English

6pkrunner · « **Reply #27 on:** March 18, 2006, 08:10:50 AM »

I too agree that the dialects and local pronounciations are worthy of discussions, but I wish it were at the tavern over many frosties. There are just so many variatons - in as little as a few miles the changes occur. And none of those with accents believe that they have them - that's the best part. Maritimers seem to have a twang to some Upper Canadians and the Upper Canadians have a drawl to some Maritimers.
Again these are generalities and not to be taken as Gospel nor firm beliefs nor ammunition to launch attacks on anyone.

And a general joke along those lines.

A Newfoundlander moves to Tranna'. He goes to the store and asks the clerk for "a pound of bacon, a loaf of bread and a pound of butter". The clerk asks him "What part of Newfoundland are you from?" He gets a bit miffed and storms out of the store.
He decides to better himself and for the next three years takes English literature, composition, and enounciation at the University of Toronto. He graduates summa cum laude.
He decides to test his mettle and goes back to the same story he frequented when he arrived in Tranna'. He asks the same clerk for "a pound of bacon, a loaf of bread and a pound of butter." The clerk once again asks him "What partof Newfoundland are you from?" He is floored. He stammers how could she possibly know he is from Newfoundland as he now speaks the language better than most graduates of Oxford University.
She looks at him blankly and states,"Because this is a Canadian Tire Store."

clarkjh · « **Reply #28 on:** March 18, 2006, 08:31:24 AM »

ROTFLMAO

upperlake04 · « **Reply #29 on:** March 19, 2006, 08:54:13 AM »

Great site gordon - I also found it very interesting - once I got through looking up definitions of diphthongs and northern cities vowel shifts etc. You are right that there is a group here that says aboot. Not the first time southern Ontario has spoken for the rest of the country. A large population adjacent to large US population would account for an easy transfer of this popular conception.
Such a small question that opens a big subject that one could spend years investigating. And I expect each of us are now experts if this subject ever comes up in a late night trivia discussion

Thanks to all who contributed. I think I'll go out to the shop and work on my bike now.. david

needswork · « **Reply #30 on:** March 19, 2006, 04:16:14 PM »

Quote from: 6pkrunner on March 18, 2006, 08:10:50 AM

I too agree that the dialects and local pronounciations are worthy of discussions, but I wish it were at the tavern over many frosties. There are just so many variatons - in as little as a few miles the changes occur. And none of those with accents believe that they have them - that's the best part. Maritimers seem to have a twang to some Upper Canadians and the Upper Canadians have a drawl to some Maritimers.
Again these are generalities and not to be taken as Gospel nor firm beliefs nor ammunition to launch attacks on anyone.

And a general joke along those lines.

A Newfoundlander moves to Tranna'. He goes to the store and asks the clerk for "a pound of bacon, a loaf of bread and a pound of butter". The clerk asks him "What part of Newfoundland are you from?" He gets a bit miffed and storms out of the store.
He decides to better himself and for the next three years takes English literature, composition, and enounciation at the University of Toronto. He graduates summa cum laude.
He decides to test his mettle and goes back to the same story he frequented when he arrived in Tranna'. He asks the same clerk for "a pound of bacon, a loaf of bread and a pound of butter." The clerk once again asks him "What partof Newfoundland are you from?" He is floored. He stammers how could she possibly know he is from Newfoundland as he now speaks the language better than most graduates of Oxford University.
She looks at him blankly and states,"Because this is a Canadian Tire Store."

Good ole Tranna, the centre of the universe.
In Northern Ontario we say abOWt but use EH a little bit too eh.

Ebrandon · « **Reply #31 on:** March 21, 2006, 08:19:53 AM »

I know this is bad, but I just can't help myself...

Originally Canada was to be simply C N D. However, when anyone aske how it was spelled it always came out C-eh N-eh D-eh....

Don't feel bad. I am from Tennessee, and I can't begin to mention the sterotypes about how we speak.

my78k · « **Reply #32 on:** March 21, 2006, 11:35:00 AM »

Ebrandon....So how is your sister/wife/cousin doing anyways???

;

See we Canadians hear about those stereotypes too...

Actually I'm just jealous of your 363 day per year riding season...I know its not 365 because the only 2 days a year you guys get snow I am driving through on my way to Florida...never fails...

Dennis

needswork · « **Reply #33 on:** March 21, 2006, 09:02:02 PM »

Err, driving through the snow to get away from it. That does suck

. But I could deal with the 363 riding days per year, that would be nice.

ofreen · « **Reply #34 on:** March 21, 2006, 09:34:28 PM »

I've heard 'aboot' a lot in British Columbia over the years. I remember it being more noticeable back in the '70s. Maybe not so much lately.

Ebrandon · « **Reply #35 on:** March 21, 2006, 10:21:43 PM »

my78k... you meant my brother/husband/uncle, but that's ok....

And even though it is nice weather, don't count on ridding in it. The locals forget how to drive in ANY sort of percipitation.
So yoouins ought be right careful whens ya'll come down here...btw you gots a perty smile...

mrbreeze · « **Reply #36 on:** March 21, 2006, 10:31:10 PM »

Out here in California,we fart.So do you guys fawt or is that from Baawston?

upperlake04 · « **Reply #37 on:** March 22, 2006, 05:50:24 AM »

yes mrbreeze, we do fart here. fawting is done somewhere else

6pkrunner · « **Reply #38 on:** March 22, 2006, 07:28:41 AM »

A few Alpine or Moosehead beers and the quota of farting is higher than most places. I'm sure some would call it fawting if it would make it stop.

needswork · « **Reply #39 on:** March 22, 2006, 08:59:28 AM »

btw you gots a perty smile...

lmao

GeoffT · « **Reply #40 on:** March 22, 2006, 10:28:32 AM »

Weel! hids ABOOT time ah sayd ma piece. Ah've jist read this post frae the beginin'. Am herd sumbidy ither spekin aboot Cape Breton. weel d'ye no' ken that a lot o' fowk frae their cam frae Orkney, Scotland wie th' Hudson Bay Company mony a year ago. Every wan o' thum wid ha' sayd ABOOT. In ither pairts o' Scotland th' might say 'aboon'. Like in Rabbie Burns' 'Tae a Haggis'

"Aboon thum a ye tak yer place"

See ye's a aboot the site.

Geoff

upperlake04 · « **Reply #41 on:** March 22, 2006, 10:38:05 AM »

GeoffT - about time you waded into this topic! would have saved alot of rambling around this subject. I think it was pkrunner who suggested it might be the Scots who started this evil idea (do the real Orkney Islanders consider themselves Scottish?) Thanks for clearing up this matter and can you tell us why it is that a such a small group of people can be so influential?

cbjunkie · « **Reply #42 on:** March 22, 2006, 11:24:02 AM »

this reminds me of a funny story...

i was sitting on the edge of a sea wall looking out over the broken slabs and shards of ice that were fighting it out in the surf of the port of Helsinki, minding my own business, sketching a site for a design project when i heard a voice behind me, speaking to me.

now, i've been in Finland for about a month. most natives are fluent in English and switch back and forth with ease and never once did i have a problem asking directions or purchasing anything - none whatsoever.

but this guy...this guy is asking me a question, not speaking English, not an uncommon event on first meeting someone (i could pass for a Finn), so i say to him - "I'm sorry, I don't speak Finnish, I only speak English".

and he looks up at me and goes..."I AM speakin' English!" in this brogue that would strip the Kreem outta your tank!

turns out he's an ex-pat Scot who's been living in Helsinki for 15 yrs. He was just curious to know what i was sketching and wanted to say hello - and invite me to church.

needless to say, I apologized and felt very ignorant. in my defense i have to say that getting around in Finland was a breeze and I'd certainly gotten used to people's versatility in speaking clear English - English better than my Southern version, by far...

He had a pretty good sense of humor and we both got a kick out of it...and i did go to church, it was lovely.

upperlake04 · « **Reply #43 on:** March 22, 2006, 11:38:37 AM »

moderators sirs , I believe we could use another forum entitled "Art"

GeoffT · « **Reply #44 on:** March 22, 2006, 11:48:34 AM »

Quote from: upperlake04 on March 22, 2006, 10:38:05 AM

I think it was pcrunner who suggested it might be the Scots who started this evil idea

Which evil idea was that! Surely not saying aboot - its part of our language.

Quote from: upperlake04 on March 22, 2006, 10:38:05 AM

(do the real Orkney Islanders consider themselves Scottish?)

The jury is out on this one. It has to be said I am a 'ferry louper'. Here that means someone who was not born in Orkney. I've lived hear for 13 years. But to answer the question - some would say not as they were descended from vikings but there were islanders here before the vikings probably ancient Celts. The vikings were here for about 400 years i think but Orkney has been Scottish now for over 500 years. Just aboot all Orcadians would see themselves as Scottish and many of them would say they were Orcadian first.

Quote from: upperlake04 on March 22, 2006, 10:38:05 AM

can you tell us why it is that a such a small group of people can be so influential?

We Scots are known all over the world for our ingenuity. Here is an example. http://www.uga.edu/shs/whas.html

upperlake04 · « **Reply #45 on:** March 22, 2006, 11:56:08 AM »

now you've done it - I think I'll go for a walk..

clarkjh · « **Reply #46 on:** March 22, 2006, 12:09:53 PM »

Ahh, makes me proud of my Scotish heritage, the only problem is they kicked my great, great, greats out.

James

6pkrunner · « **Reply #47 on:** March 22, 2006, 03:45:44 PM »

Quote from: GeoffT on March 22, 2006, 11:48:34 AM

Quote from: upperlake04 on March 22, 2006, 10:38:05 AM
I think it was pcrunner who suggested it might be the Scots who started this evil idea

Which evil idea was that! Surely not saying aboot - its part of our language.

Well unfortunately or fortunately my mother was a Caper and we used to visit "God's country" many a time. And there is no lies to my statements. Sorry to either dishearten, upset, degrade, devalue your clean upstanding heritage, but I think many centurys away from the Mother island has diluted the pure enounciation.

upperlake04 · « **Reply #48 on:** March 22, 2006, 04:55:15 PM »

Right on PK - I have ancestors from Aberdeen and Kings Lynn . A ways back but I take pride in that part of my background too. My sister in law married a Sinclair.
In this part of the country, Orkney Islanders are remembered as the group who came to the fur trade posts to build York boats for the HBC from about 1750 to nearly 1900. These flat bottomed craft were built from local materials, and were used to carry trade goods for the company and private merchants into the interior and then carry fusr down to the posts on the salt water. 12m long x 2.5m wide, handled by 6-8 tripmen and carrying up to 3400kg of freight, they were rowed or sailed, tracked through or man-hauled around rapids through hundred of miles of bush. They must have been some tough characters.
A quick look at names of lakes in just this province (Sk.) show a big influence from the Orcadians -Ballantyne, Finlay, McPhee, Flett, Campbell, Isbister, Garson and many more. These are still common surnames in the north.
This is a site about old Japanese motorcycles isn't it, sorry

seaweb11 · « **Reply #49 on:** March 22, 2006, 05:41:23 PM »

As a Canadian and a Scot. I found this in the local Island paper and found some humor in it.
GOLF apparently came from "Gentlemen only, Ladies Forbidden"

I this true?

News:

Author Topic: aboot canadian pronunciation (Read 7257 times)

upperlake04

upperlake04

Ebrandon

Ebrandon

upperlake04

upperlake04

upperlake04

upperlake04

upperlake04