The Origins Of Famous Accents Across The US

One of the great things about people is that we all have our own differences that make us unique. However, there are certain things that bring us together. If you’ve lived in the same place your entire life, there’s a good chance you might be used to the accents you hear every day.

Still, adding someone new to the mix or heading across the nation might have you wondering about the origins of famous accents across the US. Everyone has their own certain twang, even if they’re adamant they don’t have an accent. We all do, but where have they all come from?

The Boston accent

It turns out that famously dropping Rs in the Boston accent stems back to the founders of the area, who wanted to recreate the English elite accent. They were famous for also dropping the letter, but the colonists might have gotten a little confused. That's because dropping Rs first appeared in southern England, where it was considered to be anything less than elite at the time. Whatever the case, it wasn't long until people across Boston picked up the habit.

The Upper-Midwestern accent

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw an influx of Scandinavian and German travelers to the Upper-Midwest as they all traveled to the new land in the hopes of crafting a new life on the farm. Most of them came from farming backgrounds, meaning they could easily slot into the new life. Nowadays, most locals still have some of the European-inspired accents that came with the language all those hundreds of years ago.

The New Orleans accent

It might come as no surprise that a New Orleans accent sounds like a combination of accents from across the States when we learn that's just how it was formed. It was all thanks to the state acting as a trading center for people from across the world, including traders in the Deep South, New York, and even as far as Italy and Germany. Now, the accent has many familiar characteristics from other areas, such as dropping Rs and using Ds in replace of 'th' in words, such as 'dem' or ‘dey.’

The Texas accent

Let's face it; the Texas accent is highly recognizable - and it all started in 1820. That's because Spain opened up the state to foreign settlers looking for some cheap land. Even more arrived in the area when Mexico broke away from Spain, and settlers also wanted in on the more affordable land up for sale. All of these newcomers brought their twang with them, and it seems they melded together to create a brand new accent.

The New York City accent

The NYC accent is one of the most famous in the world. It turns out that colonists in the area first came from southern England, where it's thought they wanted to drop the Rs just like their friends in Boston. It stuck around until World War II when the trend started to fade out after hundreds of years. Some also believe that the New York City accent can be linked to Italian and Yiddish origins.

There are so many wonderful accents across the nation, meaning the origins of famous accents across the US means each one has its own story. Thankfully, they all have plenty of history and have come a long way throughout the years.