I'm guessing that a very high percentage of the members on BGP are from Kentucky, or at least were raised in the Bluegrass State. Considering that this is the case, I'm also guessing that many of us have various degrees of what might be described as a Kentucky or Southern Twang in our accents.

 

I've not been to every region of the state, but would surmise that different areas have somewhat distinctive accents that are telling of what part of Kentucky one might be from.

 

I'm from Northern Kentucky, and although I grew up around various people who were transplanted to NKY from other parts of the state who did have twangs, I never really considered that the locals here had much in the ways of a twang at all, if any.

 

To be perfectly honest, I have at times faked a twang when perhaps dealing with someone like a car mechanic who did have a twang to try my luck at getting a certain amount of "Good ol' Boy" respect, but it's likely that I just ended up sounding fake anyhow, and making a fool of myself.

 

After going my whole life thinking that I personally didn't have a twang, a friend of mine from Wisconsin had some family members visit the NKY area, and I spent the day driving them around showing them the sites.

 

They constantly kept saying how they got a kick out of hearing my southern accent. After telling them that I never thought that I had a twang, they assured me that I indeed did.

 

Of course I did hear in them their Wisconsin accent, but was really surprised to hear from them that they thought that I had a twang. I told them that I guess that it's possible that I have a touch of one, but that it was nothing compared to how folks sounded who were native to areas much further south of the NKY area.

 

Of course no one really hears accents within themselves, and can only hear them in others, but my question to all y'all is if you had to describe your Kentucky Twang using a meter somewhere between "None", "Slight", "Medium", to "Heavy", how would you describe it?

 

Although I never thought that I had one, I suppose that my answer would be "Slight".

 

Also, if there's anything that you can add about your knowledge of different dialects from various regions of the state, that would also be interesting.

 

If you are from a region where a certain twang is definitely heard, but you yourself did not develop it, what do you believe is the reason?

 

Have you ever spent significant time in other parts of the state, or other states from where you we raised, and when you returned home were told by family and friends that you sounded different from what they remembered you to sound like?

 

I once spent a mere few days in Boston where after listening to the locals there chatter, I for a few days couldn't get that sound out of my head, and even slightly caught myself speaking that way. A few days back home remedied that as quickly as it developed.

 

On the other hand, I spent a longer amount of time in England in the past, and although I was very conscious of their accent and loved it, I personally never acquired it to any degree at all. Not even like Madonna, who I believe hers though was fake anyhow when she was briefly married to Guy Ritchie.

 

After working for a few years in an office with a few other girls from near and south of Florence, Ky, I began to detect a noticeable difference in the way my sister talked. She herself was unaware of the change.

 

Like always, my post here is long and all over the place, but in general how would you describe your Kentucky accent, and feel free to add to this discussion in any of the various ways that I have described, or whatever way you think is relevant.

Mine is heavy. I talk about as Eastern KY as anyone. Any time I leave KY people ask me where I'm from. In Mexico, the other American tourists found amusement in my accent, especially compared to my wife.

I am able to "adopt" whatever strength of twang is needed where I am. I'm also able to project no twang at all, apparently, from comments from calls I've been on where people are surprised I'm from Kentucky.

 

My dead give away, though, is my use of "y'all". Absolutely cannot break myself of that one.

 

I had two roommates from Wisconsin back in the day, who used to trot me out to their friends to say "iron" because it's a word I cannot say like someone from Wisconsin. I say "Eyrn". They say "Eye-Ron". They used to get the biggest laughs out of my pronunciation. Of course, I'd always point out, "Y'all moved to Kentucky. I'm not mispronouncing anything, y'all are."

Wife is from Greenup County. Easy to tell.

Mine is heavy. I talk about as Eastern KY as anyone. Any time I leave KY people ask me where I'm from. In Mexico, the other American tourists found amusement in my accent, especially compared to my wife.

 

I've no doubt that one's intellect cannot be quickly determined by one's dialect, but Kentucky has traditionally been used as a punching bag in jokes regarding our accents.

 

Have any of you with heavy Kentucky accents ever felt discriminated against because of, or felt that you had to work harder than the next guy at proving yourself as perfectly capable of performing work duties, or demonstrating your intellect? Have you ever sensed a prejudging by others all because of your accent?

 

I used to work with a man who was raised in Pike County who has an accent that I really cannot describe in words. It seems as though he might've once had a heavy Eastern Kentucky accent, but because of many years of living in Southern Ohio the accent had been dulled to a certain degree giving him an absolutely one of a kind sound that I don't think anyone could possibly pinpoint where he was from.

 

Nonetheless, no matter the accent he is probably one of the most intelligent people that I have ever met. His head was so full of facts and figures that it was mind boggling. He had a warm friendly tone, but would speak such hard to keep up with details that were difficult to follow from his lightening fast delivery. It sorta came across as half human, half robotic. Still and all one of the nicest and most intelligent guys that I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. It didn't hurt at all that one of his favorite topics was Kentucky High School Basketball, so with that we never ran out of things to talk about, but when his brilliant science mind got cooking, that's where he would quickly lose me and make my head spin.

I've no doubt that one's intellect cannot be quickly determined by one's dialect, but Kentucky has traditionally been used as a punching bag in jokes regarding our accents.

 

Have any of you with heavy Kentucky accents ever felt discriminated against because of, or felt that you had to work harder than the next guy at proving yourself as perfectly capable of performing work duties, or demonstrating your intellect? Have you ever sensed a prejudging by others all because of your accent?

 

I used to work with a man who was raised in Pike County who has an accent that I really cannot describe in words. It seems as though he might've once had a heavy Eastern Kentucky accent, but because of many years of living in Southern Ohio the accent had been dulled to a certain degree giving him an absolutely one of a kind sound that I don't think anyone could possibly pinpoint where he was from.

 

Nonetheless, no matter the accent he is probably one of the most intelligent people that I have ever met. His head was so full of facts and figures that it was mind boggling. He had a warm friendly tone, but would speak such hard to keep up with details that were difficult to follow from his lightening fast delivery. It sorta came across as half human, half robotic. Still and all one of the nicest and most intelligent guys that I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. It didn't hurt at all that one of his favorite topics was Kentucky High School Basketball, so with that we never ran out of things to talk about, but when his brilliant science mind got cooking, that's where he would quickly lose me and make my head spin.

 

I've never really experienced predjuice because of my accent I don't think. Fortunately in EKY, it probably gives me credibility more than it takes away.

I've pretty much lost the twang, but it tends to come back when I am up there. The roots are never far from the surface.

My twang is very heavy. I remember when I went to Sweden I was invited to dinner at one of the sales reps home. His kids(both college age) were there. They kept asking me questions just to hear me talk.

 

I lived in Ft Lauderdale for a couple of years and people were always commenting that I was from the South. They would guess Georgia, Alabama & never Kentucky.

 

I have a great nephew who is four. He was born and lives in Canton, Ohio but has the cutest Ky twang.

I've only been told that I have a Southern accent when I'm with a Northerner.

I am able to "adopt" whatever strength of twang is needed where I am. I'm also able to project no twang at all, apparently, from comments from calls I've been on where people are surprised I'm from Kentucky.

 

My dead give away, though, is my use of "y'all". Absolutely cannot break myself of that one.

 

I had two roommates from Wisconsin back in the day, who used to trot me out to their friends to say "iron" because it's a word I cannot say like someone from Wisconsin. I say "Eyrn". They say "Eye-Ron". They used to get the biggest laughs out of my pronunciation. Of course, I'd always point out, "Y'all moved to Kentucky. I'm not mispronouncing anything, y'all are."

 

I have no idea how, but I've also developed the "Y'all" thing too. That's pretty funny that you "adopt" whatever strength that is needed, and interesting too that you can project no twang at all. It sounds like you'd be a perfect a candidate for being a newscaster.

I feel you both, B-Ball Fan and Rockmom. I live in Wisconsin, and the locals can tell that I am not from around here. We moved a lot when I was a kid, but most of elementary school through high school was in northern Kentucky, and that is the place I still consider home.

 

And I fight hard for that little bit of twang that I still have every day.

I have a switch in the back of my head. It gets dialed differently depending upon where I am. As a result, my accent shifts from "somewhat hillbilly" to "really, really hillbilly." Sometimes, "jive hillbilly" becomes part of it. It's less about me and more about playing to my audience.

Came back from 6 years in Bowling Green with a pretty good twang. Not sure when I lost it.

I have an eastern Kentucky accent. I've always been proud of it.

The late Prof Cratis Williams book "Southern Appalachian Dialect" states that eastern Kentucky has the oldest spoken English language in the world, including the United Kingdom. He points out that it's the oldest due to the many years of isolation of the region's inhabitants in eastern Kentucky and other sections of Appalachia. The rest of the English speaking world changed but Appalachian kept many of the same words, phrases, and pronunciations that their ancestors brought with them from the the old country.

 

Dr. Williams was a Harvard educated native of Lawrence County and taught Appalachian culture and language for many years at Appalachia State University.

Ifn iz thought iz had me a twang, iz would work most diligently to makes sure as shootin' iz not be ashowin' it inz mine comunicashens

 

.....and yes....even though from Northern KY...not that you will find it on a map.....the words "sack" instead of bag....."appreciate ya" instead of you......and "na" instead of no...still creep into my conversations from the 4 summers I spent camping at the Horse Park....