Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 19:18:35 -0600

From: "Timothy C. Frazer" mftcf[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UXA.ECN.BGU.EDU

Subject: Re: Boston accent



On Mon, 30 Jan 1995, Peter L. Patrick wrote:



Dan,

Martha Laferriere had an article in Language in 1979

("Ethnicity in Phon'l Variation & Change") which contrasted Boston

Irish, Jewish and Italian speech for low vowels. She looked at

different generations and gave a nice picture of social change and why

the Irish, as I recall, kept the least prestigious accent longest.

Also, is it "American Tongues" (the video) that has a nice interview

with a young Boston Irish guy? seemed like a good example to me, but I

don't know much about Boston...

--plp



I dunno if he was Italian or not but he says his accent "drives the women

nuts. They say, 'are you Italian?' and I say 'ya mudda. . . .'



Tim