I grew up in rural Appalachia and sadly I have now lost my accent. It is true- the lovely southern drawl that sounds like sap slowly dripping down tree leaves at dusk has morphed into some sort of Northeren undefinable. However, when I return it mysteriously and magically reappears! Still I get nostalgiac for the friendly sound.

Within a few short hours of exposure I begin to add prepositions to the end of each sentence. The cadence becomes slow and I speak with metaphor and conjugate “to be”.

The dialect is rhotic and characterized by distinct phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon. It is mostly oral but can also be found in writing. Detractors of the dialect both within and outside of the speaking area cite laziness or indifference in learning standard forms as the reasons for its existence. However, the areas where Appalachian English is spoken were settled in the 18th century, and many of the characteristics of the dialect predate the standardization of American English and continue to be passed on orally.

If you want to learn a bit about Appalachian English and why it is so unique check out Wikipedia’s Entry.

On that note… 

Dominant Recreation in Appalachia

White Water Rafting
Fishing
Hiking and Camping
Gardening
and… Guns. Lots of them. It is true. I don’t know many West Virginian’s who aren’t armed. Still it is a friendly place- don’t be alarmed.

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