Why North Carolina Is the Most Linguistically Diverse U.S. State

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/n ... inguistics

[AppfaninCAALand]

Fascinating read, thank you.

I took a public speaking class at App. One of my classmates had lived his whole life on Ocracoke Island, prior to college. I remember being so amazed by his speaking. It was really this first time I started to notice smaller, regional dialects.

Then right out of college, I took a job in a call center. I will never forget after spending 20 minutes helping a caller where I had spoken to him quite a bit, the caller asked me if I had grown up outside Charlotte with parents originally from Cincinnati. It was an odd question, but I told him he was nearly correct - I grew up in Greensboro and my parents were from Dayton. He said my accent was clearly a blend of southwest Ohio and NC Piedmont, and it was more likely my parents moved from Ohio to NC than the other way around, so he guess correctly.

Ever since those two experiences, I have always been fascinated by dialects and accents and always keep my ears open for little differences. For 10 years, I held a job calling on numerous locations around metro Richmond VA, and I've trained my ear enough that I can often tell if someone grew up in Richmond city, the northern suburban counties, Petersburg and the southern suburbs, or rurals counties either to the south and east or alternately the north and west. Or if they are a "come-here" like me.

So thanks again for posting this.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Fascinating read, thank you.

I took a public speaking class at App. One of my classmates had lived his whole life on Ocracoke Island, prior to college. I remember being so amazed by his speaking. It was really this first time I started to notice smaller, regional dialects.

Then right out of college, I took a job in a call center. I will never forget after spending 20 minutes helping a caller where I had spoken to him quite a bit, the caller asked me if I had grown up outside Charlotte with parents originally from Cincinnati. It was an odd question, but I told him he was nearly correct - I grew up in Greensboro and my parents were from Dayton. He said my accent was clearly a blend of southwest Ohio and NC Piedmont, and it was more likely my parents moved from Ohio to NC than the other way around, so he guess correctly.

Ever since those two experiences, I have always been fascinated by dialects and accents and always keep my ears open for little differences. For 10 years, I held a job calling on numerous locations around metro Richmond VA, and I've trained my ear enough that I can often tell if someone grew up in Richmond city, the northern suburban counties, Petersburg and the southern suburbs, or rurals counties either to the south and east or alternately the north and west. Or if they are a "come-here" like me.

So thanks again for posting this.

My story is not as dramatic, but at a parent open house 20 years ago I had a parent ask if I grew up between Albemarle or Hickory. Pretty much pegged me to within a few miles of where I grew up in Catawba County. I had been in Guilford County for 5-6 years at that point I guess.

I never realized how much Catawba County and really over to Iredell County was part of the southern Highlands accent until I saw a map a few years ago. My students make fun of how I say yellow or really "yella." I generally play along and own my accent which is a different sound than the Triad area. I love that this state has some quirks and uniqueness in a variety of ways. Also we play some damn good football in the northwest mountains. I love that as well.

[appstatealum]

I always get called our for not being "truly Southern". Most southerners realize quickly that I probably grew up here but that my parents must "be northerners". I even had one former client from Dallas, NC nail it and said "you sound like you were born in Charlotte, but your parents must be transplants. I bet your mom is from Maryland or DC and your dad is probably from Syracuse or Albany". I couldn't believe how people can do that. My dad was from Utica, NY and my mom was from outside of Philly. I still tell my family about that guy 10 years later.

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

Both of my parents are from outside of Concord, but I grew up in Greensboro. I’ve been guessed British more times than I can count and not sure why. Any thoughts?

[DaphneUrquhart]

I traveled to one of the Montana games with a friend from Hickory. At one of our stops, the barkeep asked if we were both from NC because our speech was so different. I just laughed and said he'd now heard two of NC's multitude of accents. Admittedly, mine is tinged with Alabama accent in places, so it's not pure NC. My friend's is rural Catawba County all over.