Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Dialect and Accent.

It's Ganesh Chaturthi, we hope our Hindu readers have a good feast.

And it's Paryushana Parva, good festival to our Jain readers.

Dialects and accents. Both can get you in trouble. There's that whole divided-by-a-common-language thing between the UK and the USA of course. But there are more versions of the English language than just standard British and Standard American. It's a nightmare long before you add creoles or dialects to the mix.

For example - I was reading a post by a USAmerican acquaintance the other day and she referred to her "utes" doing tricks. I was baffled - what kind of tricks can a pick-up truck do?? She was similarly baffled when I mentioned my bewilderment.

Turns out she was talking about a grid-iron football team from Utah. Abbreviated to "Ute". Whereas I, who had been speaking on the phone to my sister in Australia, about her quest for a new vehicle, was still thinking in Australian mode (my sister has been out there long enough to sound completely Aussie, and is a citizen, and considers herself completely Aussie - not English - now). So I was thinking "utility vehicle" - also abbreviated "ute".

We got that one sorted easily, and this time without me "opening mouth, inserting foot". (I do that a lot, usually totally accidentally). Dialect coupled with accent can get you into the sort of trouble where you do accidentally offend people quite a lot, no matter how hard you try not to do it, (though I freely admit that I will sometimes be obnoxious on purpose - but not as often as may appear to others).

For instance - there is a fanfic we occasionally report updates to, it's probably a verious serious fanfic. The author is probably proud of her work. (Wouldn't any author be??). And the potential for me to be accidentally very rude is quite high.

This is unfortunately due to the British Empire's tendency to import words from the languages of the countries it "acquired" - especially from the "jewel in the crown", India, and the habit of the working-class soldiers to mangle the pronunciation of Hindi words. (Bundook - rifle, cushy/cushti - comfortable, etc.) Coupled with the destruction of pure speech caused by a Cockney accent - it means I can not say the title of the fic out loud without it sounding completely ridiculous. Probably not the desired effect. (Though for all I know the writer may be a cockney and may know exactly what they are doing!! I've never checked).

And I laugh every time I type it.

I hope I never have to say the title to anybody else!! It would be really unfortunate...

Enjoy your updates. See you next week. Goodnight and may your God/s go with you

Ze

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