Tangier Island, VA - accent

Ouabache

I was watching some clips on dialects of American English and
ran across a very odd one. Has anyone had experience with the folks
speaking on Tangier Island, Virginia? The people who settled there began
arriving from England in 1670s.


Listen to the folks sitting around the shop at 0:39 -0:58 and 1:35 - 2:08

Can you understand what they are saying? Does the accent remind you of one
you've heard before? (where)?

wolram

There has been another thread on this, it is most interesting, i would love to talk to these guys.

Ouabache

Actually I had PM'd you about this one, two months ago. You were thinking they sounded possibly, West Country (UK) but not Brummie. A friend from northern Canada told me it sounded like an accent he's heard in New Foundland.

turbo

Yep! When I heard those guys, I thought "Newfies"

hypatia

They don't move their upper lips very much when they speak.

Ouabache

Good call. They do lean in that direction.. here are some Newfies..
it was titled "Another Newfie Discussion"

Ouabache

You're right I didn't notice that before

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I recently spoke with a lady from Otley, Yorkshire, UK. She thought they sounded a bit like West Country (Cornwall).. so I did a little digging.. Here is a Cornish fisherman's accent. See what you think? (voices start around 1:23)


(there seems to be some technical difficulties with new server on embedded youtubes. If embedded video says, no longer available, try the hypertext link I gave above).

hypatia

I wonder what area of England these Tangier Island people came from?

tko1984

Tangiers Island was settled by fishermen from Devon and Cornwall in the late 17th Century prior to the larger emigration from Southern England to the Chesapeake Bay area. I’m from Devon originally and the dialect being spoken definitely sounds like an archaic form of the far southwest England (Devon and Cornwall) accent.

Hope that helps

Ouabache

I've got a new lead on those folks Wollie!! I just met a Geordie who moved to a town in Somerset. He believes they sound close to a Somerset accent and also confirms they sound like Newfies.. So perhaps some West Country fisherfolk came over to Newfoundland in 1600s and some wandered down the coast to this island in the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia and kept their accents from the 1600s.

Cyrus

I've been to Newfoundland. They dont talk that funny, they sound irish. Hey Ivan, did you see the Newfy point with his middle finger in the video? Forward to 1:02

Accentwang

Yes their accent is somewhat weird. Must be the influence from their Scottish settlers way back in the 1600s. Physical isolation from mainland VA could be another factor. They do sound like Newfies because Newfoundland was settled by Scotts as well.

Garth

They sound English, West country somewhere around Somerset.

Compare with this clip from the "Two Ronnies" show: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/512036...onnies_yokels/.

Garth

Ouabache

okay we have another good comparison to an old Cornish accent. I found this on the website of the British Library, archive of sound recordings. We have a farmer from Kilkhamton, Cornwall by the name Richard Hurd (born in 1872) and recorded in 1963. Don't be confused by the interviewer who is not from the area. As soon as I heard Richard's second sentence "I was out to service.." I hear the same intonation as the Tangier Islanders. The rest of the clip has more great examples, as he tells his story of tending bullocks & sheep.

Vagn

Sounds like the West Country, around Cornwall or Somerset to me.

JaredJames

It sounds like the original English language. The words heard are similar, if not the same to those used when England had various dialect in different regions of England all based on English.

There's a word at around 0.50 in the original video that I've heard before but can't quite place it.

Ouabache

That is good corroborative news. I see you are now in northern UK. I wonder, do you know some people down West Country. Did you live near there?