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The New Orleans Accent


Mith242

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But are there many cities in the US that have had as much of a French impact as New Orleans?

I would have to say no. Saint Louis, Baton Rouge, Mobile, and Detroit were originally French, but IMO they were not as heavily influenced by the French as New Orleans was. Smaller cities like Nathcitoches, Natchez, and many others along the rivers were heavily influenced by the French, but many of these small towns have lost alot of the culture through the years.

Of course this could be different in other peoples minds. But IMO, there is no other city that has been impacted by the different parts and aspects of the French culture like New Orleans.

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Very good point Spartan.

The fact that southern Louisiana and Quebec area of Canada both had access to major rivers was part of the reason that the original Acadians came to south and southeast Louisiana after they were thrown out of the Quebec area and Nova Scotia.

I've also wondered if Louisiana would have kept much of it's French heritage if not for the Acadians.

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I've also wondered if Louisiana would have kept much of it's French heritage if not for the Acadians.

There would still be alot of French culture in parts of New Orleans and around SE Louisiana, but if the Acadians has not come to Louisiana, the state would have most likely lost most of it's french culture outside of New Orleans.

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There would still be alot of French culture in parts of New Orleans and around SE Louisiana, but if the Acadians has not come to Louisiana, the state would have most likely lost most of it's french culture outside of New Orleans.

It's just funny how the Acadians/Cajuns just seemed to not get assimilated like most other groups in the country.

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It's just funny how the Acadians/Cajuns just seemed to not get assimilated like most other groups in the country.

Yea that has always been interesting to me. The cajuns in Louisiana have obviously mixed in with other Louisiana culture's, but they have done a great job of keeping their heritage and culture together.

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Another interesting New Orleans term that I always heard when growing up in the Quarter. I very rarely heard "slide."

SHOOT-DA-CHUTE - A playground slide.

I'm starting to discover that there's quite a few terms used in New Orleans that I've never heard before. I've taken an interest in some accents and such in different parts of the country but somehow have missed one that's relatively close to me. :D

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I don't think Arkansas has too many unique terms that apply only to the state or one area of the state. The only one I can think of offhand is the term hollow used in the Arkansas Ozarks. I do also know that the Missouri Ozarks also have a unique term that I don't think is used elsewhere called a shut-in.

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I don't think Arkansas has too many unique terms that apply only to the state or one area of the state. The only one I can think of offhand is the term hollow used in the Arkansas Ozarks. I do also know that the Missouri Ozarks also have a unique term that I don't think is used elsewhere called a shut-in.

What do these terms mean, Rod?

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What do these terms mean, Rod?

A hollow is basically an odd shaped valley. Not the best way to word it. Most hollows I've seen are small but deep circular type valleys. Not sure if this applies to all of them. I'm not positive that it's only used in the Arkansas Ozarks but I haven't seen it commonly used elsewhere so far. Shut-ins only occur in an area of the Ozarks near the St Francois Mtns in the northeast area of the Ozarks. Unlike the rest of the Ozarks the rocks there are igneous not sedementary. Creeks have carved their way into the rocks but the harder igneous rocks cause strange narrow valleys.

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A hollow is basically an odd shaped valley. Not the best way to word it. Most hollows I've seen are small but deep circular type valleys. Not sure if this applies to all of them. I'm not positive that it's only used in the Arkansas Ozarks but I haven't seen it commonly used elsewhere so far. Shut-ins only occur in an area of the Ozarks near the St Francois Mtns in the northeast area of the Ozarks. Unlike the rest of the Ozarks the rocks there are igneous not sedementary. Creeks have carved their way into the rocks but the harder igneous rocks cause strange narrow valleys.

Thats interesting. I can't say I've heard either of those terms used in SE Louisiana.

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Thats interesting. I can't say I've heard either of those terms used in SE Louisiana.

I don't think you have the terrain. :lol: I'm pretty sure the term 'shut-ins' is used only in that area of the Missouri Ozarks. As I said before I'm not positive on the term 'hollows'. It could be used elsewhere possibly like the Appalachians, but so far I'm not aware of any other use outside the Arkansas Ozarks.

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Something very frequently said in New Orleans:

ON DA WES' BANK, ACROSS DA RIVUH, OVA DA RIVUH - On the West Bank of the Mississippi River, where such places as Algiers, Gretna and Marrero lie. Interestingly, the West Bank is due south of New Orleans (except for Algiers, of course). Make sense? Thought not.

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The New Orleans accent is comparable in most ways to the Charleston accent. It comes from the mixture/creole of the races of course. But the reason the accent in Charleston and New Orleans is so much different than anywhere else in the South is due to those 2 cities being the only major cities where the indigenous African speech remained strong. Thats why you will hear many similarities in New Orleanian speech and the Gullah speech of Charleston, SC, even though the 2 port cities are on opposite ends of the south.

Theyre both fairly isolated cities which allowed the speech patterns to maintain.

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if you're ever in doubt about whether you're hearing new orleans or new york in someone's accent, listen for the slower, content-with-life drawl that identifies the new orleanian. the new york accent has similar vowels, but is usually much choppier.

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Something very frequently said in New Orleans:

ON DA WES' BANK, ACROSS DA RIVUH, OVA DA RIVUH - On the West Bank of the Mississippi River, where such places as Algiers, Gretna and Marrero lie. Interestingly, the West Bank is due south of New Orleans (except for Algiers, of course). Make sense? Thought not.

Maybe its called the West Bank because you enter the river from Gulf that is the west bank of the river even though it is due south of the City of New Orleans.

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