Dear writer who describes accents
"Guttural" is not a synonym for foreign, strange or barbaric. It refers to sounds made at the back of the throat. Before you describe a language as guttural, please make sure that it contains such sounds. Languages that I am acquainted with that contain guttural sounds include German, Dutch, Spanish, Welsh and French. Languages without them include English and Swedish.
You may need to think again before describing someone as speaking with a guttural accent. In my experience native speakers of German, Dutch and Welsh are no more likely to use these sounds when speaking English than I am to use a "th" sound when speaking French. I have occasionally heard Spanish speakers substitute the sound for "h", and French speakers may use the French "r"; but oddly enough such people tend not to be described as speaking with a guttural accent.
if you don't know what a language sounds like, don't describe it. And if you don't know what the speaker of a particular language sounds like whe speaking English, don't describe that either. Guesses and assumptions won't do.
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You may need to think again before describing someone as speaking with a guttural accent. In my experience native speakers of German, Dutch and Welsh are no more likely to use these sounds when speaking English than I am to use a "th" sound when speaking French. I have occasionally heard Spanish speakers substitute the sound for "h", and French speakers may use the French "r"; but oddly enough such people tend not to be described as speaking with a guttural accent.
if you don't know what a language sounds like, don't describe it. And if you don't know what the speaker of a particular language sounds like whe speaking English, don't describe that either. Guesses and assumptions won't do.
This entry was originally posted at http://sollers.dreamwidth.org/37998.html. Please comment there using OpenID.