42. Dialects in the usa.

Traditionally, dialectologists have listed three dialect groups in the United States: Northern, Midland, and Southern - although some scholars prefer a two-way classification of simply Northern and Southern, and one may also find significant difference on the boundaries of each area.

The differences in pronunciation between American dialects are the most evident but seldom lead to misunderstand­ing. Differences in grammar are rare. The differences in vocabulary are quite numerous, for example Standard American cottage cheese (творог) is called sour milk cheese in Eastern New England, Dutch cheese in Inland Northern and pot cheese in New York City.

The Northern division includes the New England Settlement, New York, and the Hudson Valley, northern Pennsylvania and Ohio, and beyond. The Connecticut River is usually regarded as the southern/western extent of New England speech. Chief among the local variations existing on the border between the Northern and Midland dialects are those prevailing in and around New York City and northern New Jersey. The New York dialect is famous worldwide due to countless movies and television programs. It is spoken by a significant portion of native-born residents of New York City and its immediate vicinity in southeastern New York State. The New Jersey dialect spoken in northern New Jersey is simply a softer version of the English language spoken by residents of New York and is very frequently mistaken for it. Most colloquial greetings and expressions used in New York are also said by New Jerseyans and with the same frequency.

A distinctive speech pattern was also generated by the separation of Canada from the United States, centered on the Great Lakes region. This is the Inland North dialect – “the standard Midwestern” speech that is generally considered free from regional marking in the United States of America. Standard Midwestern is the dialect used by many American network television broadcasters. Individuals from the Midwestern US sometimes have difficulty in understanding other dialects of English, because most other dialects, both in the US and abroad, place less stress on consonants and on syllables in the middle of words. Since Slavic languages stress consonants even more heavily than does Standard Midwestern, a Russian who learns English extremely well often sound almost Midwestern. This is especially noticeable in the speech of interpreters for important Russian officials.

Midland speech is divided into two discreet subdivisions, the North Midland and South Midland speech. The North Midland dialect extends from southern New Jersey and Pennsylvania, west into Ohio and beyond. The north Midland speech continues to expand westward until it becomes the closely related speech of California. The South Midland speech starts from Northern Delaware along the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, follows the Ohio River in a generally southwesterly direction, moves across Arkansas and Oklahoma west of the Mississippi, and peters out in western Texas. This is the dialect associated with truck drivers on the Citizens’ band and country music.

The southern division comprises the southern two-thirds of Delaware, the Eastern parts of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and the Gulf States (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and the south-east parts of Texas).

There is also the ethnic variety in the United States, African-American Vernacular English (also called Ebonics), that has gained national prominence and influenced usage from coast to coast. This dialect is used in many African-American communities in the USA, especially in urban areas. African-American vernacular English has been widely used in popular entertainment and has spread in informal settings, especially among the young and with emphasis on trendy slang, verbal games, and such music-related activities as jazz and rap. It has its origin in the culture of enslaved Americans and also has roots in England. African-American vernacular English is largely based on the Southern American English variety. There is much controversy over the linguistic status of African-American vernacular English in the United States. Opinions range from it deserving official language status in the US to it being dismissed.