What It Is?

It’s hard to classify my dialect. My dialect is in the middle between the northern and southern dialect. I think that leaves it as semi-country, yet proper. I feel my language is English. Yes, it’s English but like anything that people inherit they add their own little touch.  For example, when I’m speaking with close friends and family I may say “Wolago I went to look for it, I ain’t see it.” I was saying that “A while ago I went to look for it, but I didn’t see it.” I know the proper way, but the simple way to say it would be the “Wolago.”  By saying that the correct way it seems more formal. By formal I mean educated and proper. When I’m among friends and family I see no point, things are more relaxed because I know that they understand what I’m saying. In some cases such as “Naw and Yea” it could be seen as disrespectful. My elders feel that it shows lack of respect and discipline, to them it’s as if you don’t care about who you are talking too. It is either yes or no sometimes you couldn’t even say that, it better been a yes’mam or no’mam or vice versa using sir. I remember a time when I got popped right in the mouth because I said “yea” to my ma. After that, I learned to choose my words a little bit carefully.  In school yes we were taught the proper way but most of our teachers were from the same region, some even went to the same high school, so we all spoke the same way when someone not from our region came along they adapted because there isn’t too much of a difference between our dialects. The newcomer might have picked up on our different accent but basically we were saying the same things it was just coming in a different tone of voice. I’m proud to say my English is standard, because of its simplicity. I think that everyone can understand it as long as they know America’s English.