The American accent

Thank you for asking. It is the short "i" and better represented by Alistair's spelling of TAL-uh-DIGG-ah.

The whole magic map thing was just a pretend. There wasn't a map. Just Creeks. Lots and lots of fierce Creeks. They did develop an alphabet in the 19th century, but I've always had the damndest time trying to make any sense of it. A lot of the pronunciation of their words depends on a kind of huffing and puffing inflection that makes you feel like you're making fun of them if you try to emulate.

All of the spellings of our vast numbers of Creek words in Alabama are extremely sketchy. As I type this, I am one mile from Chewacla State Park, and about ten miles from the towns of Loachapoka, Opelika, Notasulga, Tuskegee, and Tallasee, with a branch of Choctafaula Creek running through my back yard and the Saugahatchee Golf Course on the other side of the creek. Each day, I work at a campus located on the Chattahoochee River. Since the city of Talladega is a couple of hours away from me, I'd have to pass through Wetumpka and Sylacauga to get there.

 

Pas de problème. J’étais heureux de le faire.

(Bloody French - it's like they have to have a different word for everything!!!!)

 

While us thrifty English speakers use a single word to mean a dozen different things.

I read somewhere that the Japanese (I think) have no words to signify past or future tense. All language is in the present tense. I can't imagine how that works.

 

I think that is the Chinese, rather than the Japanese. I could be wrong.

By the way, if it is Talla-DIG-ah. Why not spell it, Talladigga and save all the hassle? It's not like this isn't the Anglicization of Creek. Just make it conform to English.

I suspect this is either pronunciation thing as Jonie has suggest above OR a language translation thing. The same that the name Osama is also Usama. It doesn't directly translate from Arabic (or whatever language it is).

 

I've read some very interesting stuff on words that don't have an English equivalent. For example, the Japanese term "bakku-shan" refers to a girl who looks beautiful from behind, but horse-face ugly when she turns around. There is no English word for that. Or the Japanese term "kyoikumama," which describes a mother who pushes her children too hard to succeed. The Dutch word "uitwaaien" means to take a walk in the countryside to clear your head, and the Portuguese word "suadade" refers to a painful longing for something that is gone and can never come back.

I love stuff like that.

 

I always liked "schadenfreude" too

 

Sounds like the Creek had a lot of huffing and puffing of another type going on, warrrreagl.
Also, there is an English term for the Japanese term "bakku-shan", now. It's a relatively new internet term called "butter-face".
'That girl would be a 10, butter-face makes her an 8.' Or some variation on that.

 

A word they use in Singapore: Kiasu. Literally, it means afraid to lose. But in practice here, it means more. It describes the type of person who cuts lines to get to the front or barges onto the subway before letting others off. Me first! Fuck you!

Wai lao! Back off Uncle! There is plenty of time to board the train. Why so kiasu?!

 

A small town near me is called "Tallassee," and is pronounced "TAL-uh-see." It was obviously named by the Creeks, and for decades it was spelled "Talisi." I don't know when the spelling was changed, or what occassion prompted the necessity, but several businesses in that town still use the older spelling of "Talisi," such as the famous Hotel Talisi. I guess I'm trying to answer your great question by saying I have no clue why the Anglicization of Indian names is so inconsistent.

By the way, when the Creeks were forcibly removed to Oklahoma, they named one of their new settlements after Talisi, and the spelling of that town's name got corrupted into "Tulsa."

 

butter face comes close, although two words. Add a hyphen and we're the same.

 

Which just goes to show that translations shouldn't be left to those who speak funny.

 

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My children (who have recently started school) and learning to spell phonetically. Many things they bring home is terribly spelt, but sounds great when you read it. Given English is a patchwork of many influencing languages this is surely going to screw them royally when the time comes to write anything in their future.

 

I am from West Virginia U.S. I have a rough hick accent when I say light I use the long I sound I grew up this way I could change,but I won't its part of who I am.I think everyone loves diffrent accents I particularly like the accents that come from Africa. I love to hear them try to speak English its nice.

 

Accents, dialects, language--all very interesting and useful to know about. I'm always keen to hear more.

 

I love Singlish. Though, lately I've developed a deep appreciation of Filipino English over Indian/South Asian English.

Filipinos are so much easier and better to deal with, it's ridiculous.

Unless I'm dealing with Lebanese locals. They're tons of fun.

 

I know what you mean. I feel the same way about some Americans!!

(And some of my own countrymen, come to that!)

 

(american accent)......"whuuut doooo yoooo meeeen heee wazzzzz shitfaced?".......(american accent)

(canadian accent)......"sorry 'bout that eh".......(canadian accent)


Baraka...........that is freakin' hilarious..........thank you.