I've learnt so much about Canadian Pontiacs since joining this forum but I've also learnt tons about Canadian life from you guys too. When one of you makes a comment on your politicians or the way some part of your infrastructure works - or perhaps doesn't - it's like being in the pub with one of my old friends. One old thread about a stolen pick up disappearing onto a res is a great example. We have similar problems with so called gypsies. In fact real gypsies are great people but there's a different breed that are known as travellers who are a nasty problem. But I digress, here's my question:
I recently discovered The Republic of Doyle, which I'm sure I enjoy because it's obviously influenced in the nicest way by The Rockford Files. What I need to know is; Do most people in St Johns really speak with a strong Irish lilt to both their grammar and accent?
64PARCONUK wrote:What I need to know is; Do most people in St Johns really speak with a strong Irish lilt to both their grammar and accent?
Yep, pretty well ... and it's even thicker outside of St. Johns (the capital where the "townees" live).
A derogatory term for their language is called "Newfanese".
I used to work and party with some guys from the towns of Cornerbrook and Windsor, and as the night went on , their accents and wording got more and more extreme. It got to the point where everyone was laughing (including I), but I didn't actually know what everyone was laughing about!
By-the-way Ches, most of the people from the Canadian Maritimes have a Irish/Scottish lilt ... some "ticker den udders". It depends on the area.
This guy's from Nova Scotia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRLDDYrJGew
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Prince Edward Island
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
From what I've been told, the Republic of Doyle accent is a little overdone. I haven't actually watched the show so I can't comment personally.
Having lived in the Maritimes my entire life, and having known and worked with many Newfounlanders, I have found that dialects vary greatly province to province, town to town, and even person to person.
Here's a link to another forum that I read from time to time, where a couple of Newfoundlanders talk about the accents in Republic of Doyle, for a little perspective. Read the 4th post down:
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
We have acquaintances (a husband and wife) from Newfoundland who work here in Prince Edward Island in the fish plant during the summer. I can only understand about half of what they say. There are folks here in Prince Edward Island that have accents as well. For such a small island I'm surprised at how many there are. There's the "Up West" accent which has a bit of a French feel to it. Some folks in Charlottetown have a certain accent- seems more the ladies have it. Where I am ("Down East") there's a specific accent and then I notice one from the North East (Souris) area. None of them are as "strong" as a Newfoundland accent though.
Here's a great resource web site, the International Archive of English Dialects for Canada. Frankly the entire country has regional accents and for people like me who grew up with Grannies and Grandfathers who were British, Irish and Scottish heritage we can easily launch into our impression of any of them and understand the nuances and phrases and words of many. I find listening to the samples captivating as you move accross the country.
I lived in nfld for 7 years and worked their off and on since 1975. The republic of Doyle accent is certainly one youd hear from many people. Newfoundland was settled from the ocean, communities were established in each bay and they would be mostly English and Irish, a few scots and a few French. They have no counties, everyone says what bay they are from. These bay places were settled by people from Ireland and England from families and small places and they brought their accents from home. There were no roads to these places and the trans Canada was not finished through the middle until the mid 60s, so they got their groceries etc by water. Being isolated and having no tv, internet, not much mixing with outsiders, these places kept their accents from !back home, some more pure than where they came from. Think of the London accent the yorkie accent, etc in England.
Newfoundland has about 30 or 40 different accents, all speaking English, but like everywhere else, they are losing them with internet, tv, and the mixing of accents and people. Ive seen their accents be subtitled on US tv.
You need to visit and see icebergs and visit all the little bay towns and hear the accents of the baymen and the townies from st Johns. YouTube Buddy whatshisname and the other fellas they have great music and do comedy and the accents they put on are real.
Don
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
Its not snowing there now, that would be only in Calgary this time of year. Sometimes.
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
I live in St. John's Newfoundland. I just got back today from a 10,000 km road trip from Alberta to St. John's in a 12 year old pickup I bought for that purpose. During that trip I was fortunate enough to spend some time with three members of this board and had a great time with all of them.
But to answer your question, yes, in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, there are many, many different dialects. Some are of Irish descent, others of English descent, and there are parts of Newfoundland where you might think that you are in Ireland. There are some accents and dialects that might be difficult to understand by an untrained ear. Those that exist however, are unique and some are almost musical to listen to. And yes, some (but not all) of the accents in Republic of Doyle are (in my opinion) overdone.
But the fact of the matter is that there are a variety of accents to be found in almost every province. I lived in Nova Scotia two years ago for about six months and I heard many different ones there. The same is true in PEI and other parts of the Maritimes, as well as in Ontario, Quebec and western Canada.
At the same time there are many in Newfoundland who speak with no discernible regional accent, as is the case in other places across the country.
Nevertheless those accents add to the flavour and uniqueness of the many cultures that make up Canada and I suspect you would enjoy talking to people in any region of Newfoundland and Labrador, which is known for its hospitality and friendliness (Reference the play, "Come from Away", which currently runs in New York and Toronto to excellent reviews).
PRAJWALA DIXIT: More finesse in Newfinese than meets the eye
My Newfoundland (and Canadian) journey began at Torontos Pearson International Airport. Having travelled 14 hours straight from the other side of the globe, I arrived at Terminal 1 and boarded my connecting flight to St. Johns. Tired and hungry, I eagerly waited for the food trolley to arrive. Surprised that I had to pay for my food (as this wasnt the norm from where I came), I opened my purse to hand the air hostess cash, unaware that they only accepted credit cards.
While I sadly watched the food pass by (as I did not have a credit card), my co-passenger tapped my shoulder. Well pay for it. Dont you worry, me ducky! said the kind lady, as the gentleman beside her took out his credit card and handed it to me. A little bewildered as to why she called me a duck and stunned by their gesture, I graciously accepted their generosity. Profusely thanking them for their act of kindness, I thanked my lucky stars, thinking that this was a one-off fortunate experience. Little did I know that this was my first taste to the renowned Newfoundland kindness of which Broadway sings praises today.
After landing in St. Johns, I arrived at my first home in Canada, relieved to discover that my landlord was a kind soul. Offering to drive me to the then-Future Shop, he showed me around the city, often adding by at the end of some of his sentences. When I questioned him who by was, he chuckled, politely explaining that it meant friend or buddy colloquially.
Soon, I began to realize that the friendliness in the city was not special treatment but the norm, a refreshing change from the concrete jungles I had previously inhabited.
As time passed by and I became more acquainted with the city, I began using the bus, where random strangers would strike up a conversation with me about politics, food, and of course the weather!
Many a time, the conversation began with Whatta y'at?
Taking this question literally, I would usually reply, Im at the bus stop (with you - duh!)
Today, This is it by, rolls straight off my tongue when asked the same!
After spending close to a decade here, through hiking and kayaking, conversations with known faces and unknown strangers, I understood that I could use Oh me nerves! to express frustration, crooked to convey not a shape but the state of my mind, and squat to indicate that something was squished. My personal favourite remains best kind, which I frequently use when I am pleased with someone/something and to solicit pleasantly surprised laughter, as no one expects it to come from me.
While researching for this piece, I found that the dialect of The Rock has had an international influence in its formation. Arising from the jagged beauty of the coastline, Newfoundlands lexicon is filled with words related to the coast and the weather. This is evident from a quick look at the local weather forecast, where the meteorologist will occasionally intersperse terms like mauzy or, seldomly, sun is splittin da rocks through their forecasts.
In addition to Innu and Inuktitut, French, Spanish, Irish and West Country English have added to this dialects rich history. Exhibiting perhaps the largest amount of regional diversity in North America, today, the dialect continues to attract many linguists from far and wide.
Through my (nearly) three decades of life experience and travels, I can say that most people appreciate when one attempts to learn the lay of their land be it through culture, language or food something that I have consciously tried to do to the best of my ability. Being my seventh language, Newfinese has been by far the most fun to learn. A reflection of the caring nature of the people who inhabit this province, Newfinese is a dialect filled with warmth, compassion and care.
Finding finesse in Newfinesse is quite simple. It comes from imbuing the kind and generous spirit that the people in this province possess.
Prajwala Dixit is an Indian-Canadian engineer, journalist and writer in St. Johns, NL who writes a biweekly regional column for the SaltWire Network. When she isn't engineering ways to save the world, she can be found running behind her toddler, writing and volunteering. Follow her at@DixitPrajwala
Heartfelt hanks to you all once again...............
I am also from Newfoundland, and my ancestors came from Ireland, Waterford area. The accents in Republic of Doyle might seem a little over done because some of the actors were from other parts of Canada and were trying hard to speak Newfanese,lol. I have been in the company of people visiting here from Ireland and they are amazed that regions of Newfoundland have such strong Irish accents and that St. Patrick's Day is celebrated bigger here than in Ireland.
, their accents and wording got more and more extreme. It got to the point where everyone was laughing (including I), but I didn't actually know what everyone was laughing about!