Language Quiz
I'm not one for posting quiz results, but I thought it interesting:
Your Linguistic Profile:
45% General American English
15% Yankee
10% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern
What Kind of American English Do You Speak?
Given that I am British(Scottish), have never lived in America and have not really known any Americans long enough to pick up their accent, I found the result interesting. Is General American English still so similar to British English, or is it because I've been affected by watching so many American shows? Yes, it's just a quiz with only a few questions (20 questions, 5 of which I didn't answer as none of the answers were applicable) but it still made me think. I went back over the quiz - there were a few words I've never heard of - 'cruller' for one, and ones I've only ever heard in american movies - 'toilet papering', 'Devil's Night'.
I'd say it was far more likely that it's just that the common language base that English has be it American or British, and that the accent (at least for me) would more likely determine where you were from. Saying that, I have been asked if I was Irish more than a few times - I think because I have a slight trouble with my r's in words like iron, Irish and tend to lean towards the Irish pronunciation of them (or so I think). I seem to have a hodge-podge of an accent as I'v been accused of sounding English by Scottish people, Scottish by English people, Irish by others and even Canadian. Not that I think I've got a very pronounced accent (who would think their own voice has an accent?). Amusingly enough, my mother says I have a Swedish accent when I speak Finnish as I tend to swallow the end of my words.
Oh yes, and I can't really imitate accents at wish. Maybe my Liverpulian has risen slightly above awful, but that's just from practise. It's not like anyone would be taken in by it, I just like the sound of it ;)
Your Linguistic Profile:
45% General American English
15% Yankee
10% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern
What Kind of American English Do You Speak?
Given that I am British(Scottish), have never lived in America and have not really known any Americans long enough to pick up their accent, I found the result interesting. Is General American English still so similar to British English, or is it because I've been affected by watching so many American shows? Yes, it's just a quiz with only a few questions (20 questions, 5 of which I didn't answer as none of the answers were applicable) but it still made me think. I went back over the quiz - there were a few words I've never heard of - 'cruller' for one, and ones I've only ever heard in american movies - 'toilet papering', 'Devil's Night'.
I'd say it was far more likely that it's just that the common language base that English has be it American or British, and that the accent (at least for me) would more likely determine where you were from. Saying that, I have been asked if I was Irish more than a few times - I think because I have a slight trouble with my r's in words like iron, Irish and tend to lean towards the Irish pronunciation of them (or so I think). I seem to have a hodge-podge of an accent as I'v been accused of sounding English by Scottish people, Scottish by English people, Irish by others and even Canadian. Not that I think I've got a very pronounced accent (who would think their own voice has an accent?). Amusingly enough, my mother says I have a Swedish accent when I speak Finnish as I tend to swallow the end of my words.
Oh yes, and I can't really imitate accents at wish. Maybe my Liverpulian has risen slightly above awful, but that's just from practise. It's not like anyone would be taken in by it, I just like the sound of it ;)