Where Does Dialect Stop and Grammar Begin?

Examining dialect and grammar in emails.

Here's the scenario. You work with someone who is from the south, where the spoken dialect includes words such as ya'll and ain't. You are trying to sell something to this person, so in order to appear friendly, you adopt their lingo. The usage of these dialectal words shows up in emails as well. If words such as ya'll and ain't are used in an email, is it poor grammar (in this scenario, you are someone who is a prescriptionist) or is it an extension of dialect?

My argument is that it is an extension of dialect. Even within a business setting, many people write emails as if they were talking to the recipient - more informal than "professional." And if they write as if they were holding a conversation, then it makes more sense that using dialectal words is an extension of dialect rather than poor grammar.

What do you think?

It's Pop, Not Soda

In Minnesota, we use the word pop for what most people call soda. We often "go up" to see someone or vacation at our cabins, even if the direction we are headed has nothing to do with "up." And, if you go deep enough into Central Minnesota, where the Germans immigrants settled and flourished, you may even hear "yous guys" as the plural of you. In the south, you plural becomes, "Ya'll!" People in Wisconsin call drinking fountains "bubblers."

Every regional dialect has words that are unique to its speakers (and this is true for every language). And often times, using words like "pop" when one is not in Minnesota can result in confusion or good-natured teasing. So here are a couple things for you to share: What are some words that are only used in your city/state/region/country? And have you ever been in a situation where using a word that is unique to your regional dialect has caused confusion or misunderstanding?

Ohkay, so here's da Minnesoda accent.. doncha know?

I was reading some of the comments on my last post and some of you seem to think that "Them ones wasn't what I was looking for!" is a regional dialect. It's very possible. I still maintain that it sounds horrible and, regional dialect or not that lady could try a little harder to speak properly. Anyways, I know how much everyone loves a good accent. Especially Sarah Palin's cute, folksy accent that she so famously slipped into when asked a difficult question. I found an article that traces her accent to the (you guessed it!) Minnesota north woods.

Then for your enjoyment, I found a video of Amy Walker who was on the Today Show and can effortlessly speak in 21 different accents.


Next, this is a video of a man doing his best Minnesotan accent. I find it hilarious, but he does swear a bit, so if you have any little ones around you might want to cover their ears.


Which accent was your favorite or least favorite? Is there an accent that you think makes a person sound more intelligent? What about less intelligent?

Then if you are wondering which American accent you have, take this little quiz.

Here are my results, j.i.c. you are curious. I can't believe they said I sounded like the movie Fargo. Of course I think those accents sound ridiculous.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: North Central "North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.
The Midland
Boston
The West
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The South
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz