What languages do you speak?

[Bensgal]

^^Love Cajun accents and it is difficult to understand, IMO.

I can read some French and as I was growing up I understood my mother when she would converse with we kids in a combination of German/English mixed all into one sentence. To this day, my sister & I will still toss conversations back and forth between us in this manner. Since our kids aren't as quick to pick up what we're saying, this is an excellent way to keep them on their toes! :wink:

[wannable]

Spanish:
Central and South American countries, including Spain have different accents and slang. Through my surfing travels, I understand all of them, perhaps one or another word that we don't use in the country I live, I will momentarily scratch my head and then aha, it must mean x to make sense with the sentence.  I think the best Spanish spoken are the Colombians, very elegant, well mannered talk.

Just within the country I live, the city slang is different from the coast slang - sometimes I mix both whilst in the city or coast, both sides laugh at me. From my state to other states in the country, the accent is different. Example: a person from the city of Caracas talks (ice cream = helado) differently from a person in Maracaibo (ice cream = polo).  The Margarita people talk very very fast, its amusing -- I love it.

English: I can quickly switch from British, American to Caribbean English.  Elementary school - British.  High school and University - different accents; Californian, Texan, New York.  Caribbean (British, because they use British school system, books) English - way to funny, think about reggae accent.

[cinrit]

English - way to funny, think about reggae accent. 

Do you mean like "ya, mon" ("yeah, man")?

France French: cherie
Cajun French: sha  (not sure how they spell it, but this is how it's pronounced; "a" as in "ask")

Cindy

[wannable]

 :nod: :hehe:  :clap: :thumbsup:

[Macrobug]

If you can understand Cajun, you can understand French Canadians.  Our french is completely different than France.  There is even a regional difference.  The other day I was in the mall listening to a family beside me in the foodcourt.  Obviously Northern Ontario french.  More guttural, more nasal.  My family speaks Ottawa/Montreal French which is a more posh sounding french.  Once you get up into the Gaspe Bay region of Quebec, it changes again.  Very nasal and formed in the back of the throat.  And then finally, the Nova Scotia/Acadian french is the Cajun French.  It is amazing listening to it, but really, no different than the regional differences in English.  At uni, my dearest friend and I spoke differently than our other friends.  We are both French Canadians (I am a bit lapsed) from Northern Ontario with a distinct dialect and accent.  We called it "Northernese".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMc-6MVEHF8&feature=related

This is a Quebec group that really shows the Gaspe Bay accent.


Now if you want to hear something incredible - this is Newfoundland English at it's best
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEfcx5cFajM

[Scarlet Flowers]

Do you mean like "ya, mon" ("yeah, man")?

France French: cherie
Cajun French: sha  (not sure how they spell it, but this is how it's pronounced; "a" as in "ask")

Cindy

Thanks for the translation! :thumbsup:

[cinrit]

If you can understand Cajun, you can understand French Canadians.  Our french is completely different than France.  There is even a regional difference.  The other day I was in the mall listening to a family beside me in the foodcourt.  Obviously Northern Ontario french.  More guttural, more nasal.  My family speaks Ottawa/Montreal French which is a more posh sounding french.  Once you get up into the Gaspe Bay region of Quebec, it changes again.  Very nasal and formed in the back of the throat.  And then finally, the Nova Scotia/Acadian french is the Cajun French.  It is amazing listening to it, but really, no different than the regional differences in English.  At uni, my dearest friend and I spoke differently than our other friends.  We are both French Canadians (I am a bit lapsed) from Northern Ontario with a distinct dialect and accent.  We called it "Northernese".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMc-6MVEHF8&feature=related

This is a Quebec group that really shows the Gaspe Bay accent.

I'm not sure ... it doesn't sound like Cajun French to me, but ... I don't know.  It sounds "softer" than Cajun French.  Here's one of my childhood friends and her Cajun band.  Maybe you can tell if the French is the same or similar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWTpURWEtIs

I don't particularly care for Cajun music, but I have to admit it makes everyone (including me) want to get up and dance. :D

Cindy

[Macrobug]

That video is La Bottine Souriante who are a Québécois group  from the Quebec/St Laurence Bay region.  It IS a different dialect than the Acadian (Cajun) French of Nova Scotia/NewBrunswich.  Exactly what you heard Cindy!  :blowkiss:

I can't listen to them without wanting to dance.  First introduced to them on The Chieftains/Paddy Maloney collaboration CD with a variety of Down East Canadian musicians.  Amazing to think it took an Irishman to introduce me to my own French-Canadian heritage  :teehee:

The guy in your video sounds less guttural and more nasal but softer to me. Like the French you would hear in Shediac region of New Brunswick.  Sounds completely different than my Ottawa  French relatives! 

[Lothwen]

I remember the first time I had somebody ask me "Hey, is you......."  Instead of "Hey, are you....."  and I wanted to say "No, I is not anything.  He is and she is and you are and they are but I am."  But I didn't have the guts to do that.

I also had someone ask me "Is you 18?"  To which I replied "Nope."  Because I'm not :lol:

[cinrit]

^^ Were those English grammatical errors, or was English not the first language of the people asking the questions?

Cindy

[Lothwen]

English grammatical errors Cindy.  But try telling those people that they were speaking improperly-they're almost proud to mangle the language. 

[cinrit]

Awful.  I don't understand why people don't follow grammatical rules.  It's not that difficult.  Or mispronounced words.  Just in the past couple of years, I've heard "migraine" pronounced as "mindgraine", "arthritis" pronounced as "artheritis", and several more.  Those are the only two I can remember, and only because I literally had to turn around in order not to laugh out loud.

Cindy

[Lothwen]

Cindy, I've had to bite my fist so I wouldn't burst out laughing

[Macrobug]

I disagree that grammar is easy.  I am grammatically inapt.  I have tried and tried to learn but it is Greek to me.  I also mispronounce words on a regular basis.  Now. having said that.  I HATE it when people use certain words incorrectly.  It is like screeching fingernails down the blackboard.

Math is easy.  Grammar   :cry:

[cinrit]

^^ I'll try that next time someone tells me about their artheritis, or that they've got a mindgraine.  It really is hard to keep a straight face sometimes, isn't it?  :hehe:

Cindy

[lil157]

Kinda pretentious attitude though.

Just saying.. :blowkiss:


People make mistakes. Why did they make the mistake they made, in the first place? Do they have a speech condition preventing them from saying words right? Or they did not have a proper schooling while growing up? Maybe due to financial status? Or aren't they just not bright enough? Or maybe it just did not come out right that time.

Whatever it is, thoughtfulness is always class act when dealing with can-be funny situations.


:flower:

[Lothwen]

Macrobug, it's not even that.  It's that if I correct somebody on their grammer (which I only do if I know them)  they tell me that they don't care. 

And yes, it is mainly a racial issue.  The black people I've met who talk that way say they do so because they don't want to sound "White."

^I was born with a speech defect, so I wasn't talking about saying certain words incorrectly, since I've been known to substitute a "W" for an "R"  I was talking specifically about grammatical errors.

[Macrobug]

I mean when people use the wrong word ie Your instead or You're.  Things like that.  But I really can't throw stones.  My grammar really is bad.  I use the wrong tense, I throw commas around like confetti and runonsentancesarealwaysfun.   :blush:

I have a speech impediment also.  I have to search ahead in the conversation and quickly substitute synonyms when I see a word coming up that I know I can't say.   Synomins, synomim, ahhhh darn it.  Can't say that one  :happy15:

[wannable]

After 20 K posts, I think everyone has committed at least once grammatical and/or typo errors.  No one is perfect, not even certified translators -- they use dictionaries, recheck the work a handful of times before delivering.

I have added a few days ago 'Carzy' in the RIF dictionary. You can read it in the 'Carzy' thread.

[Macrobug]

I enjoyed that,  you carzy girl!   :xmas1:

[wannable]

 :P

[cinrit]

Kinda pretentious attitude though.

Just saying.. :blowkiss:


People make mistakes. Why did they make the mistake they made, in the first place? Do they have a speech condition preventing them from saying words right? Or they did not have a proper schooling while growing up? Maybe due to financial status? Or aren't they just not bright enough? Or maybe it just did not come out right that time.   

No mistakes ... no speech condition ... some actually quit school at 16 because they wanted to and it was legal.  Without knowing the background, I know it's hard for you to understand.  I'm the one who lives here, so I'm aware of what's to be made fun of and what shouldn't be (no, not at all racial).  I'm also old enough to know the difference.  Speaking for myself, I'm not in the least bit pretentious ... but I do insist on good grammar and mispronunciation is fine if you're willing to learn the correct way ... which some are not.  :flower:

Cindy

[lil157]

Kinda pretentious attitude though.

Just saying.. :blowkiss:


People make mistakes. Why did they make the mistake they made, in the first place? Do they have a speech condition preventing them from saying words right? Or they did not have a proper schooling while growing up? Maybe due to financial status? Or aren't they just not bright enough? Or maybe it just did not come out right that time.   

No mistakes ... no speech condition ... some actually quit school at 16 because they wanted to and it was legal.  Without knowing the background, I know it's hard for you to understand.  I'm the one who lives here, so I'm aware of what's to be made fun of and what shouldn't be (no, not at all racial).  I'm also old enough to know the difference.  Speaking for myself, I'm not in the least bit pretentious ... but I do insist on good grammar and mispronunciation is fine if you're willing to learn the correct way ... which some are not.  :flower:

Cindy

Wow, Cinrit, you only became this hostile because you noticed the post was from me?
You did not sound like that in a couple of earlier posts.

*sad*

:(


Anyway, my point was that thoughtfulness from the way a person (re)acts has nothing to do with a person's nationality, background, culture, age, race, etc.

And is not about insisting on things and getting our way, is more about of understanding the situation and perhaps showing a more appropriate way for things to be done.

(Sure it can be amusing sometimes, but as long as one controls oneself in such situations, then it's okay)


:flower:

[Macrobug]

Whoa.  I am going to jump in here and defend Cindy.   This was a light hearted conversation until you accused Cindy and Lothy of having a pretentious attitude. No matter how many kisses are blown and flowers given.    I think that that was rude and it is understandable that Cindy defended herself.  Also, you are cherrypicking parts of a sentence with your underlining.  When the whole sentence is taken within context, it is not hostile.

This is a fun thread.  It would be nice to have it remain that way.

[lil157]

Not going to address this in order to stay on topic.

:flower: