The Canadian Accent

13

Comments

  • Posts: 17,117
    when i went up for the tour in 2005, we were calling everyone and each other "fucking hosers eh" :)
  • Posts: 2,001
    butters wrote:
    All Canadians say it differently...
    I didn't think we did, but now I can hear it.

    legend:

    a - as in 'ha'
    o - as in 'boat'
    u - as in 'boot'


    Americans tend to say a-ba-o-t, and they drag the o a bit

    Canadians (in Vancouver, and many other places) tend to say a-ba-u-t, and shorten the u a bit

    exactly!

    i am definitly guilty of using 'eh'.... it's just nicer than saying 'huh'? ;)


    and as far as 'Yes By' goes - i thought 'By' was short for 'Boy'... no?...
    ~~*~~ ...i surfaced and all of my being was enlightend... ~~*~~
  • Posts: 2,875
    I wonder how a Canadian accent sounds...
    Better then a Dutch person speaking English for sure!
  • Posts: 1,745
    Ahnimus wrote:
    Hello, I am from Canadia.

    I watched the South Park movie again last night and it struck me as odd. The way Canadians are in the film, saying "aboot". I've lived in Canada my whole life and I've been to many parts of it. I've never heard anyone talk like that in my life. The closest I've ever heard is SCTV, but those guys are comedians.

    Additionally, I used to work for Nextel and many Americans thought I was from Florida. Do Floridans talk like Canadians?

    Many people asked where I live and I said "Ontario" they replied "California?" the idea I might be Canadian never crossed their minds. One man even said "Oh great, an American, I'm sick of talking to Canadians" when I took his call.

    And "about" isn't exactly an easy word to avoid.

    Southerners probably don't realize they use the word " y'all " either. I've not met many canadians in my live who didnt use that word. Same with americans from Minnesota.
    Why go home

    www.myspace.com/jensvad
  • Posts: 576
    eh ??
    Master of Zen
  • Vienna Posts: 444
    I've been visiting Canada at least once a year since '98 and haven't heard a single 'aboot' yet. I can still tell a US-American from a Canadian in no time though. I think there's a different melody in the way they speak. There's a pretty funny CBC documentary called 'Talking Canadian' (if I remember correctly) that explains how language in the two countries developed differently.
    You can tell a man from what he has to say - Neil & Tim Finn
    They love you so badly for sharing their sorrow, so pick up that guitar and go break a heart - Kris Kristofferson
  • Posts: 18,341
    The 'english' canadian accent is nothing.... try the 'french' canadian accent! Wow.... a world in its own!!! :D
  • Vienna Posts: 444
    redrock wrote:
    The 'english' canadian accent is nothing.... try the 'french' canadian accent! Wow.... a world in its own!!! :D

    God, yes. I learned French for 9 years in school but the first time I watched a French-Canadian film I didn't understand anything *g* I do now, but I don't think I'll ever make the transistion when speaking French. I can just hope to never get pulled over for speeding in Québec, that could become chaotic language-wise :D
    You can tell a man from what he has to say - Neil & Tim Finn
    They love you so badly for sharing their sorrow, so pick up that guitar and go break a heart - Kris Kristofferson
  • Posts: 2,440
    the funniest example of a wacky canuck accent was a few years back. my kids and I had gone over to Victoria to visit and stay with my ex-mommy-in-law (my kids Grandma) for a few days. anyway one her brothers took the kids one afternoon to help him with doing some remodeling on his house. after they came back I asked "so what did y'all do? where did y'all go?"

    so the kids Uncle(well technically great uncle) says "Oh, we just went by the Home Da-poe to look at some materials"

    i said "huh? you went by the where?"

    and he repeats "the Home Da-poe"

    I was like "what in the hell are you trying to say?"

    so my kids are both cracking up and they said "Mom, we went to Home Depot"



    nevermind the whole freaking zed instead of zee thing....after my son was born we're in Virginia and i'm talking to the mommy-in-law in Victoria on the phone and she's asking how to spell his name? and she keeps saying "zed-a-c" this is about where i'd interupt her before she got any further and say to her "huh? what?"

    this went on like 3 times back and forth before i handed the phone back to my baby daddy and i told him "fuck it, I can't speak Canadian" :)



    now living as close to the border as i do I only have to hear a person say a few sentences to know which side of the border they live on
    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
    angels share laughter
    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
  • Posts: 179
    i have 2 friends from canada one from ontario and the other i can't remember where she said but they both say aboot.
    champagne for my real friends & i'm a real pain for my sham friends.. ;)
  • Kernersville, NC Posts: 2,517
    Ahnimus wrote:
    Eh is cool though, it's a reaffirmation like saying "right" except it's shorter and smoother. "What's going on eh?" it's sweet!
    I've never heard anybody use the phrase "What's going on right?"
    I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me.
  • Posts: 576
    I'm In Grade 10....not 10th Grade....lol
    Master of Zen
  • Posts: 10,560
    I swear, I'm going to record my speech and upload it for you.

    I almost said "you all"

    I think the "you all" "y'all" thing is because in english "you" is singular and plural, without context it's difficult to know who a person is addressing. But by saying "you all" or "y'all" it's apparent it's being used in it's plural form.

    On the other hand... we could have 7 words for "you" like German
    "euch", "ihnen", "dich", "du", "ihr", "man", "Sie"
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • Posts: 579
    This thread is blowing my mind. I have lived in vancouver 25 years and have never heard anyone say "a-boot". We pronounce it "a-bowt". Maybe it is a regional thing cause it is parodied all of the time.

    Home depot? I've only heard it pronounced home De-poh

    we do say "eh" but not excessively, although that is the closest we get to a true stereotype. Oh yeah, and it is a roooooof, not a ruff.
  • Posts: 8,209
    Ahnimus wrote:
    I swear, I'm going to record my speech and upload it for you.

    I almost said "you all"

    I think the "you all" "y'all" thing is because in english "you" is singular and plural, without context it's difficult to know who a person is addressing. But by saying "you all" or "y'all" it's apparent it's being used in it's plural form.

    On the other hand... we could have 7 words for "you" like German
    "euch", "ihnen", "dich", "du", "ihr", "man", "Sie"

    ya'll is the shit! :D
    If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.

    Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
    -Oscar Wilde
  • Posts: 19,646
    Ahnimus wrote:
    On the other hand... we could have 7 words for "you" like German
    "euch", "ihnen", "dich", "du", "ihr", "man", "Sie"

    why? those guys are sticklers for rules and lingual-flagellation
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • Posts: 2,361
    when we were camping at the Pinery a few yrs back we went to Grand Bend (?) and everyone there said 'aboot'

    they say 'a boat' the same way too...


    Esther's here and she's sick?

    hi Esther, now we are all going to be sick, thanks
  • Posts: 10,560
    brainofPJ wrote:
    when we were camping at the Pinery a few yrs back we went to Grand Bend (?) and everyone there said 'aboot'

    they say 'a boat' the same way too...

    Haha what? I live near Grand Bend and I've been there a few times, I've never heard that.
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • Posts: 4,984
    i like how distance is measured in time in Canada.


    "so, how far to the turnoff?"

    "oh, aboot 10 minutes."

    uhh, thanks.
  • Posts: 2,361
    Ahnimus wrote:
    Haha what? I live near Grand Bend and I've been there a few times, I've never heard that.


    Haha what?

    hmm ok, well it's out there. not like people are making this shit up..


    Esther's here and she's sick?

    hi Esther, now we are all going to be sick, thanks

Welcome!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
Sign In
Register

Quick Links

Categories