Re: prestige dialects Re: Why is Hindi perceived as being more refined than Punjabi?


Vanya6724 wrote:
> Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> > Seán O'Leathlóbhair wrote:
> > >
> > > Peter T. Daniels wrote:
> > > > Brablo wrote:
> > >
> > > I would guess that it was an attempt to indicate a prestige AmE
> > > dialect. In many countries, the dialect of educated speakers from the
> > > capital is, or is close to, the most prestigious dialect. The writer
> > > may have supposed that this applies to the US. Can you suggest a
> > > convenient short label for the most prestigious AmE dialect(s)?
> >
> > "General American." I.e., "accentless" American. Americans recognize
> > varieties as regional, not social.
> >
> > The variety heard in the speech of such as Katharine Hepburn, William F.
> > Buckley, Jr., Nelson Rockefeller, George Plimpton, Jacqueline Kennedy
> > Onassis, and (until recently; she may have been working at suppressing
> > it since she has started making public appearances) Caroline Kennedy
> > Schlossberg is the dialect of arguably the "most prestigious" Americans,
> > i.e. the wealthiest old-money families, but it's definitely not a
> > prestigious dialect; it's apt to be either unrecognized or mocked.
>
> Depends on the context. In the East Coast business world a lawyer or
> investment banker who speaks with the Buckley accent will indeed be
> seen as "better spoken". Also a Southern lawyer who can pull off the
> Atticus Finch dialect will be seen by his peers as speaking "better"
> than someone speaking standard AmE. In other contexts - being a
> typical high school student or NASCAR driver for example - the same
> dialect would be viewed as pretentious or ridiculous.

A common phenomenon here as well. The term "inverse snobbery" is
sometimes used. The greatest ridicule is normally reserved for someone
who naturally has a prestige accent but tries and fails to adopt a less
prestigious one.

--
Seán O'Leathlóbhair

.

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