The Southern Accent

Ilove the southern accent. I think that it is extremely welcoming and that it plays a part in the idea of southern hospitality. When I think of the southern accent I think of phrases such as y’all and ma’am. These southern phrases are welcoming and bring a sense of respect. In the north everyone seems to be in a hurry and if someone called me ma’am I would look at them like they were speaking a different language. I think that people tend to over generalize accents. Accents vary greatly between towns, cities, states and countries. For example, I am from Boston but I still pronounce my r’s. Furthermore, I have friends from North Georgia that have different accents from my friends who live in South Georgia. They both have what is considered the “southern accent,” but when they talk next to each other, their accents sound completely different. When I researched the history of the southern dialect I found out that the migration of African Americans had a large influence, which is why the northern accent is very different. I think that dialect changes based on influences by people who migrate from one place to another and since accents can be acquired at a young age, ones accent depends on where they live and the accent that they people around them have.