Posted by Ed Kiser on May 31, 2005 at 15:41:23 from 205.188.116.7 user Kisered.
In Reply to: Re: Norwich/Harwich? Which wich?, puddle or Piddle, ravenstone posted by Peter H on May 31, 2005 at 13:46:21:
Peter --
You gave the advice, especially to us "outsiders" -
"You are safer pronouncing names phonetically as they are spelt."
That can become a problem when touring in WALES. The concept of phonetic spelling there is obviously under different rules.
Charlotte Church is Welch. Sometimes on her albums she has included songs in that native language. The amazing thing is there is a little pamphlet included with the CD containing the lyrics of her songs, I suppose so the ambitious among us can "sing along with Charl." They even provided the written words for the Gaelic songs. The words one sees, and the sounds she is making as she pronounces those lyrics, do not seem to be related at all. Including those lyrics is a total waste except for those very familiar with the language and its spellings.
As for being an outsider, that fact is very difficult to hide to the local observers. Even the body language tends to give us away, as we stare wide eyed at everything, as we get into someone's car only to realize that was the wrong side. We come to a one way street and look the wrong way first. Then when the outsider actually tries to SAY something, there is no doubt.
But for one that has actually moved their residence and intends to stay, although they may sound like an outsider for quite some time, it is still a good thing, I believe, to try to pick up the lingo and learn from those nearby as to what the local "way" is, and to try to do likewise. It still may be obvious for quite some time that this person is still an "outsider" but hopefully the locals can give him credit for at least trying to belong.
Adapting to the local way of doing things probably happens unconsciously, without actually making such an attempt. Having lived my first 40 years in North Carolina, and having become natural with that local mode of speech, then moving to Florida where one is more apt to run into New York accents (or Spanish) I find that my own language has shifted. Sometimes when I get on the phone to talk with relatives back in North Carolina, I am shocked a bit as to how they speak, and I have to "shift gears" to try to first of all, understand them, then for them to be able to understand me. After a week's vacation (holiday to many of you) back in North Carolina, then returning to work here in Florida, my work-mates would look at me funny when I spoke as I realized that in just that short time, I had regained that North Carolina way of speech again. So once again, it was time to "shift gears" and try to blend in with the local way of speech again.
After my one and only trip to England on business, staying at the Westbury Hotel on Old Bond street, and taking the tube to Richmond, with one change of trains on the way, to the IBM offices there, upon returning to my associates back here in Florida, I got again those strange looks, and one fellow, who is very much an Irishman (and SOUNDS like it) said to me, "I say, Eddie, ye're sounding like a Bloody Englishman!" It was all unintended, and not consciously done, but I did begin to adapt to the speech around me. It did not take long to return to more traditional mode of speech. That Irishman never seemed to change his dialect one whit, no matter how long he had lived in Florida, as he still sounded like it just got off the boat. To him, it was a matter of personal pride that those around him could tell from his speech as to who he truly was, and that we were not to forget it.
As for pride in one's origins and heritage, nothing wrong with that...
Language and dialects - these can be a fascinating study. The TARBOARD has taught me much along these lines, and I am grateful for the education you all (plural of YOU, sometimes spelled Ya'll) have provided for me. There is still so much more to learn.
It is all a part of learning in the area of ALL THINGS RANSOME...
Ed Kiser, South Florida