The (commonly referred to as the '''"Downeast accent"''') is the accent exhibited by ''Mainers'' (people who inhabit the state of Maine ). Used by dialect comedians like Tim Sample and Bob Marley and considered directly linked to British English, the Maine accent has a varied, but distinctive sound.
Many variations of the Maine accent exist. Generally, the dropped 'r' pronunciations once became stronger the further South and East, hence the 'Downeast' accent. Currently, as in many other areas, the local dialects are shifting to a more accent-neutral form, similar to the mid-western broadcast language standard. Possibly because of it's more remote setting, Northern Maine's dialects are not changing as rapidly.
- Words that end in "er" are pronounced with "ah" at the end; i.e. Mainer = Mainah, far = fah, etc. (See also '' Non-rhotic ''.)
- Words that end in "a" are often pronounced with "er" at the end; i.e. California becomes Californier, idea becomes idear, etc. (See also '' Intrusive R ''.)
- Drop the "g" in all words ending in "ing." stopping and starting = stoppin' and stahtin', etc. (No g sound is actually dropped, as none is present in such words in General American . Rather the sound of the final consonant is changed from a Velar Nasal to an Alveolar Nasal , which is the normal sound for n. See G-dropping .)
- Broaden all "a" and "e" sounds; i.e. calf becomes cahf, bath becomes bahth, etc.
- Drag out most one-syllable words into two syllables; i.e. there becomes they-uh, here becomes hee-ah, etc.
- "I began my Korea in Career."
- "The Sheer rebellion is shia madness."
Generally, the Maine accent exhibits Drop-R Phonetics , but is not the case for every occurrence of the letter 'R.' For example, 'murdered' could be pronounced 'murdihd,' where the second 'r' and the past tense are merged together. This is dependent on how thick the speaker's accent is. Another variation is 'murdehd.'
Drop-R typically is not used if a 'u' precedes the 'r.' For example, 'further' can be pronounced as 'furthah,' while 'farther' can be pronounced 'fahthah,' eliminating both instances of 'r.' This is not the case if the '-ur' occurs at the end of the spoken word. 'Wilbur' would be pronounced 'Wilbah' or 'Wilber,' with heavy emphasis on pronouncing the '-er' such as it were spelled 'Wilbr.'
- Apiece: Some distance, sometimes a segment of time.
- Bug: Lobster .
- Finest kind: The very best around, also a drug reference.
- Car: An automobile.
- Dite: A small amount.
- Flatlandah: Someone "from away" (or from the "flatlands", specifically referring to nearby Southern New England and urbanized states like Massachusetts , New York , New Jersey , etc.)
- Gahwd: God .
- Gawmy: Awkward or clumsy.
- Numbin' 'round / dubbin' aroun': Hanging out, not doing anything important
- Prayer Handle: Knee. (rare)
- Scrid: A tiny piece of something.
- Scridgens: Many tiny pieces or remnants of
- Figger: Figure, as in "'ow do you figger"
- The County: Referring to Aroostook County
- idn't: isn't
- wadn't: wasn't
- Maineson/Dixon line: Colloquial/jokingly, a line of latitude drawn through Bangor (rhymes with Al Gore in the North, South dropped 'r'). Used to demonstrate supposed "real Maine" and "North Massachusetts" in a general manner. Many Northern residents sense a separation of culture from Southern Maine, as many people are moving in from away.
- tater/dader/budader: potato
- beans: sweet baked beans, also: medicine/pills, sometimes testicles.
- beanhole baked beans: beans baked in a hole full of coals. This is a popular pastime and community event in The County.
- goowud: good
- Massholes: Derogatory, referring to people from Massachusetts, especially when "city driving" is observed or talked about. Can also be used jokingly. Many people from away bring driving habits with them. This often results in a large speed differential between local residents and visitors/"transplants", along with more aggressive drivers.
- Poutine: Fried potatoes, smothered in fresh cheese and gravy. Recipes can vary between the U.S. and Canada.
- Ployes: Buckwheat pancakes, prepared similarly to a crepe, but thicker.
- Steamahs: (Steamers) Clam s.
- Ayuh: Yup. (This word is often spoken while breathing in. See Pulmonic Ingressive .) Northern speakers will often follow with a series of several more ingressive 'yuh' syllables (aiyuh, yuh, yuh, yuh.)
- Chowdah: Chowder. Chowder with a slightly emphasized 'r' is more common in the North.
- Critter (North)/Crittah (South): Any small furry animal. (Also used for Lobster .) The term is also used for cattle: "beef crittah."
- Cunnin': Cute or slick in appearance or methodology. Most often said as, "Ain't that cunnin'!" (rare in South)
- Dooryard: Usually referring to either the front yard or the part of the yard associated with common entry.
- From Away (every part) /Outta-statah (Southern): Not from Maine .
- Idear: Idea
- I'm tellin' you: I tell you what. Used to emphasize what is said.
- Nosah: A Mainuh way of saying "No Sir", which also means nope.
- Numb: Stupid.
- Pot: Lobster Trap . also a drug reference.
- Reddaway: Any roadway, derived from quickly saying the phrase "right of way."
- Wicked: Very. To a high degree; i.e. wicked good, wicked bad, etc.
- Yessah: Yes or yes sir. Mostly Southern. Rarely used is the variant 'yessahree.'
- Britches/Breeches: pants, sometimes underwear but uncommon
- Chuck: To throw
- (Place names may officially change, but residents often continue to refer to the places by the same name, sometimes for decades, this will be the case in Northern Maine with places like "Squa Pan Lake" and "Squa/Squa Pan Mountain", and is the case with The "Ames" parking lot, The Lobster Pot and Loring Air Force Base, (The Base). These names are still used even though the state has required the official change of places named Squaw or Squa, Ames retail stores closed between June 2002 and mid-2003, Loring Air Force Base shut down Sept. 30, 1994, and The Lobster Pot burned down before that.)
|
