The North Cambridge accent
By adamg - Thu, 08/14/2008 - 2:38pm.
NewEnglanda reports on what might be a dying dialect: English as spoken in North Cambridge and West Somerville, north of Porter Square within three to four blocks on either side of Mass Ave.
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If you grew up here and have gotten picked on enough for your "South Shaw" accent, it's pretty easy pick up which side of the city people are from based on their accent (and in some cases, height of hair). However, I'm not sure that the "dialect" that NewEnglandA describes is all that different from a typical old school north of Boston accent. Thoughts?
The Somerville/NC accent is
The Somerville/NC accent is definitly different from the North of Boston accents , except like I said it shares the attitude that comes with the Revere accent.
There is definitly a
There is definitly a Somerville Davis/Porter/North Cambridge accent and I can tell you that I know people in their 20's who have the Somerville twang. It also comes with the old school Somerville attitude, especilly among the girls. I also find that the Cambridge/Somerville accent to be similar to the Revere accent at some levels , like how the "ah" is pronounced.
I myself somehow came across with the townie Charlestown version of the accent, even though I never lived in that part of town.
For those who say their are not differences or dont pick up on them it may be because their families have not been around long enough. Most of the people I know with the most distinctive accents come from multi generational Boston families who stayed in the same area for many generations. I go back to my great great grand parents coming here on the side that lives closest to us. Some of the Somerville people I know with the twang go back several generations as well.
I've always wondered
Bernie of Bernie & Phyl has one of those distinctive, "old neighborhood" Boston accents that's rarely heard anymore. Where'd he grow up, anyone know?
Audio clip?
In seven years here, I've never heard that accent. Anyone got a handy clip online?
I do think that "Pahk the cah in Hahvid Yahd" is not only way too long, but misses half the fun. The best Boston-accent word is, in fact, "orthotics". It has both vowel shifts: ah-thoa-tics.
Um,
In 47 years here, I've never heard that accent.
I someone were to say "orthotics" with a Boston accent, it would be something like: "othotics". If you think the dropped-'R' sound comes off like "ah", you're not from around here.
PS. I just had some con on the cob. It was wicked good.
The NC Accent...
...doesn't beat the Central Square accent, which often consists of slurred speech, hiccups, and drooling. Or of not talking at all, slumped on a bench.
Ive always liked Central
Ive always liked Central Square, it has a lived in feeling to it. While I also see lots of drunk/drugged people on benches they tend to leave you alone for the most part.
That being said I wouldnt want to live there, Ive heard interesting things about the surrounding neighberhood and am not sure how safe I would start feeling as I wandered away from Mass ave.
Don't get me wrong
That was more of a snarky comment. I frickin' LOVE Central. I live there (no, not on a bench, a few blocks away).
And no, I don't ever feel threatened by the drunks/druggies; in a strange way, I find it endearing.
And streets off Mass Ave. are not as dangerous as you might surmise. At least the people. What is more dangerous is the constant road work they do on side streets, forcing you to walk onto the roadway (but that's prevalent in any neighborhood in greater Boston), and the jackasses in cars who don't stop at crosswalks.
Honestly, what concerns me most about the passed-out people is whether I should call for help.
But yeah, Central is one of the coolest places to live/visit.
Maybe Ill walk around a
Maybe Ill walk around a little more next time Im there. I used to take the T to Central then walk down Magazine Street towards the Charles to get to Microcenter and always thought that street looked like a great place to be.
Spelling the Boston "ah"
No, it doesn't really sound like "ah"; I just don't know how else to spell it. "aa"? I grew up in Long Island, and to my ears, it's sometimes vaguely like the "a" in apple. The first time I flew out of Logan, the petite girl at the airline counter unhinged her jaw to ask for my "chaage caad".
But I think it's the second "o" in "orthotics" that really gives the local accent its flavor. In New York (and I think the midwest, too), that "o" becomes the "a" in "Pablo". Here it's really an "o".
Then there's the weirdness of "bahthroom", which doesn't match any of the other vowels at all. It's like they put an "r" in there only to drop it.