The document discusses several regional dialects in the United States. It identifies the Southern dialect, originating from Africa and developed through slavery, as the most widely recognized. It is characterized by dropping "g" sounds and using words like "y'all" and "ain't." The New York/New Jersey dialect developed from British rule and Jewish immigration, dropping "t" sounds and using words like "coffee" and "soda." The Midland dialect formed the basis for standard English today, while the Western dialect emerged later as people migrated westward.

1. Dialects in the
United States

2. What Are Dialects?
this group living
in isolation
(either
geographically or
socially) from
other groups
a group of
people living in
close proximity
to each other
the passage of
time

3. Southern Dialect
Most widely recognized
• Origins from Africa
• Originated in U.S. through slavery
• English mixed with West African
languages (ain’t, nothin’, etc.)
• Still seen with the Gullahs, GA

4. Often drop the “g” at the end of words
- Ex: Tom is fixin’ to go to the gas station.
• Words of the Region:
- Y’all, “Bless his/her heart,” might could (do
something), yonder (over there), po’boys/ subs, ain’t
(are not), fixin’ to do something (going to do
something)
• Pronunciation Differences:
- Pen/Ten (Pin/Tin), Hide (Hahd), Caught (Cot),
Forward (Ford), This (Thiyus), That (Thayat), you
(yuh)
• Carbonated Beverage = Coke

5. New Yawk
and New Jehzie
Dialect
• New York and New Jersey
• Variety of New England
Speech
• 1664
• Developed when British took over Dutch
colony of New Amsterdam (current-day
Manhattan Island)
• Jewish immigrants brought Yiddish
roots from Central Europe

6. •
•
•
•
•
Often drop “t” and use “d”
- Ex: them, these, and that = dem, dese, and dat
Words of the region:
- Dungarees (jeans), “on line” (“in line”), pie
(pizza), I want you should do something (I want
you to do something), yuppie (young urban
professional), youse (you all)
• Pronunciation differences:
• - Coffee (Cawfee), weird (we-ehd), hot (hawt)
• Carbonated Beverage = Soda

7. Midland
• Rapid movement after Civil War
• People of Scotch-Irish origin
• Basis for Standard-English today
• Considered “without an accent”
• Divided into North and South Midland

8. Western Dialect
• Relatively recent in history (1840)
• Originated from Midland accent as
people continued to move westward
• Many foreign accents along West Coast
• Pronunciation differences:
- Elevator (allivator)

9. POP, COKE or SODA?