The Canadian Accent

[Xaerun]

I don't understand a word you just typed. Try writing in Australian, it's the only language I understand. In Australia.

But seriously? I think that Canadian accents have the third best accent in the world (Second best is the British accent... maybe tied with the Northern Irish accent. *chuckles*) and I can't wait to meet a family friend in a week that's Canadian (with the "eh?"'s) and/or Easog. Heh.

 

[Irreverent]

It's "Tranna" darnit, TRANNA. It's also "Mun Tree Awl".

Yep, it is. I was poking fun at this song. Probably the best example of the GTA Tranna accent. Turn it up to 11!

Thaaht stowre is aaht Baiy aahnd Bloohr.

I bought my first stereo there.

 

[Adelio Altomar]

What are people talking aboot in this thread, eh?

Don't worry. I'm a little lost myself... :-\

I don't understand a word you just typed. Try writing in Australian, it's the only language I understand. In Australia.

But seriously? I think that Canadian accents have the third best accent in the world (Second best is the British accent... maybe tied with the Northern Irish accent. *chuckles*) and I can't wait to meet a family friend in a week that's Canadian (with the "eh?"'s) and/or Easog. Heh.

Now, if only I knew what it completely sounded like in all its range.

Yep, it is. I was poking fun at this song. Probably the best example of the GTA Tranna accent. Turn it up to 11!



I bought my first stereo there.

I can only partially understand him.

It's like listening to someone singing in a Bayou accent. Your left saying, "What?"

 

[Adelio Altomar]

Eep! I've been neglecting my thread! Bad otter! >.<

It's "Tranna" darnit, TRANNA. It's also "Mun Tree Awl".

Growing up, my dad used to get so mad at us if we didn't pronounce it Tor On To, so my brother still pronounces it all slow and people think he's insane.

Thaaht stowre is aaht Baiy aahnd Bloohr.

So what store...? I'm having trouble figuring it out. X.X

Nah, its pretty much a GNA, GTA, GKA thing. Its not just the urbanites in TO that do this.

Well, I always thought of the stereotypical Canadian accent to sound much closer to the accents heard in Fargo. The Newfoundland accent (and Nova Scotian accent, which is similar) sounds completely different from the stereotypical Canadian accent. I'd pull up a few examples of both, but I can't be bothered. Youtube is a good resource if you're interested.

So would it safe to assume that the more pronounced accents are more in Central and Western Canada, rather than in the east since they appear to sound the same, like Easog had said?

 

[Adelio Altomar]

I don't think it's really much of a regional thing. From B.C., all the way through Ontario people sound more or less the same. Then French Canadians have an accent that is distinct from "standard" French. Quebecois also tend to use more slang then the French. Only in Atlantic Canada have I really noticed an accent distict from other Anglophones.


>Is it just me or do people from Southern Ontario sound a little...different? I can't really put my finger on what it is... Or maybe I'm just imagining things.

I think I already replied. It's on my second consecutive reply.

Judging from what you and everyone else have said, the accent's more common westwards.

Ass... unless you're trying to be more polite, then arse, or butt, or whatever other cute pet name for it.

Here, this might help:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXtVrDPhHBg

Whoa! Hold on!

What the Hell did I just hear?
Zed? (Am I spelling that right?)
Not Zee? You say it Zed?

Uh.. Wow...

Funny until I heard that, then I ignored the rest in bewilderment. o.o

I apparently sound very Canadian. I can't tell at all, but everybody I show my youtube vids to say you can totally tell I'm Canadian.

For some examples:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PiMpiN92432&view=videos

Oh, God. You do sound very much American but there's something subtle in your accent that makes it hard to distinguish. Granted I can tell it's different, but I can't place my paw on it...

Also, your voice ain't as nasally as some American voices here.

 

[Adelio Altomar]

So yeah, from what I've read/heard, the whole "stereotypical" Canadian accent has its roots mostly in the West, though I've been told that there are those on the Western coast of Newfoundland that say "aboot". Mostly, I'd say, it's an amalgamation of many different accents throughout all of Canada. And honestly? To call it a Canadian accent is like calling a deep Southern accent an American accent.

Wow. I'm going into culture shock here. I don't know what to feel about you saying that.

However, I don't feel that's the best comparison. Either that's going over my head, or you need to better explain that part to me. :-\

XD "Sarry" isn't the "proper" pronunciation though. That would be a pretty good example of an accent in motion. X3 It's kind of funny, that's how some people pronounce it here, too; "Sarry", "Tamarrow/Tamarrah", "Tim Harton's" (though usually just Tim's)... I used to be really bad for that when I was young, until I started to disassociate myself from the accent.

I definitely need to find a recording of this to know what you're talking about! Tamarrah then. :3

According to a guy I work with who's studying in Ontario from Pensylvania, Canadians run through their vowels when they speak. It's not as pronounced, aparantly. It's not like we only use consonants, but the sounds of the vowels are lessened.

For example, in Sarnia ontario the older folks will say 'clamity corners' instead of calamity corners. There's also 'ignert', instead of 'ignorant', and so on.

It's pretty subtle, but it's there *S*

Vowel gradation? Is that like a phenomenon of fast or rushed speech? I tend to do that quite a lot when I'm speaking quickly and my tongue is on a roll.

 

[Irreverent]

I can only partially understand him.

Go listen to the full song again.....here's the cheat sheet:

Hey Judy, get Trudy
You said to call you up if I was feeling moody
Hey little Donna, still wanna?
You said to ring you up if I was in Toronto
I have lots of friends that I can ding at any time
Can mobilize some laughs with just one call
Like a bunch of lunatics we'll act till way past dawn
Sure we'll be rockin' till our strength is gone
Yeah This Beat Goes On
Hey ladies! You crazies,
Me and Zero request you in the Mercedes
And then we'll ride so zoomy inside
The sky's the limit this time I'm Switchin' to Glide
I don't give a hoot about what people have to say
I'm laughin' as I'm analyzed
Lunatics Anonymous that's where I belong
Sure cause I am one till my strength is gone
Yeah This Beat Goes On
I have lots of friends that I can ding at any time
Can mobilize some laughs with just one call
Like a bunch of lunatics we'll act till way past dawn
Sure we'll be rockin' till our strength is gone
Yeah This Beat Goes On....

Nothing matters but the weekend
From a Tuesday point of view
Like a kettle in the kitchen
I feel the steam begin to brew
Switchin' to Glide
Energy can be directed
I'm turning it up I'm turning it down
Even love can be affected
Harmony's the sweetest sound
Switching to Glide..Balancing in my head..inside of me...
taking the glide path instead.
Everybody gets the no-no
Hear it ringing in they ears
Lots of ways that you can go! GO!
Look around the "NO" disappears


Now to be fair, they are playing with the Tranna accent on purpose, sort of poking fun at it for the song. But it is a pretty Prototypical greater Toronto Area accent. You'll find it from Niagara all the way to Kingston and North to Orrillia. Outside that triangle, you start to pick up more of the French Canadian sound, particularly north of the French river or along the Ontario/Quebec boarder.

Whoa! Hold on!

What the Hell did I just hear?
Zed? (Am I spelling that right?)
Not Zee? You say it Zed?

Yep. Its Zed, not Zee! Particualy when you pronounce the letter by itself. Its the letter Zed, not zee, and black and white striped donkeys are called "Zebbras." But its still "Zee-Zee Top." Confused? It gets easier after your second bottle of Canadian Club rye whiskey.

Vowel gradation? Is that like a phenomenon of fast or rushed speech? I tend to do that quite a lot when I'm speaking quickly and my tongue is on a roll.

Not so much rushed or fast....just the emphasis is placed on the vowels in the first and final syllables, and lessened on the middle syllables. And a, o and e get flattened to "aww". Thus TOR-RON-TOE becomes Tranna and MONT-re-AL becomes MONriawl. Or MORE-awl in Quebec.

Laird tunderin geezzus bai, t'aint 'at 'ard. :razz:

 

[Sunny_Otter]

Our milk comes in bags, too.

 

[ExTo]

Our milk comes in bags, too.

Yummy, bagged milk.

The bag's the best part

 

[Irreverent]

So what store...? I'm having trouble figuring it out. X.X

Oh and......that store is at the corner of Bay and Bloor. Bay-Bloor Radio is a world famous HiFi/stereo/electronics store.

Yummy, bagged milk.

The bag's the best part

They allow coloured margarine in La Belle Provence yet?

 

[Cotoncandie]

I don't think it's really much of a regional thing. From B.C., all the way through Ontario people sound more or less the same. Then French Canadians have an accent that is distinct from "standard" French. Quebecois also tend to use more slang then the French. Only in Atlantic Canada have I really noticed an accent distict from other Anglophones.


>Is it just me or do people from Southern Ontario sound a little...different? I can't really put my finger on what it is... Or maybe I'm just imagining things.

Yup, southern ontario is... special XD

Atlantic doesn't just differ with Anglophones. The francophones there sound nothing like other franco-people in other provinces, the way they speak is known as Chiac, most noticeable in Southern New Brunswick, but present all around the province. (I should know, I get looked at like I'm retarded when I speak). We're just a bunch of rejects down there, really