How do voice accents develop?

[Leasy]

I always wonder what causes people of different locations to develop different tones or Pronunciation.

 

[newarkhiphop]

mimic

 

[Snitchin Splatter]

You hear how a word is pronounced at an early age and start saying it in that way

 

[tru_m.a.c]

yeah what both posters said

the deeper questions you might be looking for may be how accents developed over time

 

[daze23]

a lot of it is done subconsciously

 

[Sensitive Blake Griffin]

but how does the FIRST person with that particular accent (whom other people mimic) form that accent? Because you can tell when someones southern by just hearing them talk, or if they're from New York. How does it spread that an entire city has a certain sound or way they speak? I get told online that I sound country (but not too bad) but to me I can't even hear my accent. Only thing I say that I can think of that's country is "yall"

 

[newworldafro]

I've heard it explained that folks will take up how people around them talk .......but it is interesting..... wonder if climate or geography has anything to do with it??

but how does the FIRST person with that particular accent (whom other people mimic) form that accent? Because you can tell when someones southern by just hearing them talk, or if they're from New York. How does it spread that an entire city has a certain sound or way they speak? I get told online that I sound country (but not too bad) but to me I can't even hear my accent. Only thing I say that I can think of that's country is "yall"

"Yall" has never left the voice. I've been told I don't have much of an accent, but every now and then people say they here my North Carolina accent has been described to me as "plain southern" or something like that.

"Regional accents thrive in U.S. -- but is that a good thing?"
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/29/living/american-accents-ireport/index.html

 

[daze23]

but how does the FIRST person with that particular accent (whom other people mimic) form that accent? Because you can tell when someones southern by just hearing them talk, or if they're from New York. How does it spread that an entire city has a certain sound or way they speak? I get told online that I sound country (but not too bad) but to me I can't even hear my accent. Only thing I say that I can think of that's country is "yall"

like most things, I think it's a slow evolution. people moved apart, and over time the small differences in the way people say things are magnified. also these people were genuinely seperated, and didn't have things like TV and Radio to maintain some sort of 'standard'

it's similar to the evolution of language in general. you have a language, over time different 'dialects' arise, and eventually those dialects become so differentiated they become their own language

 

[Type Username Here]

Didn't certain languages begin as regional accents, like Latin for example and Portuguese, french and Spanish

I may be wrong.

 

[daze23]

Didn't certain languages begin as regional accents, like Latin for example and Portuguese, french and Spanish

I may be wrong.

I think the Portuguese they speak in Brazil is probably different from the Portuguese they speak in Portugal

I used to hang with these Argentinians, and I thought it was funny they made fun of the way the Spanish (from Spain) talk

but I think the answer to your question is "yes"

 

[Type Username Here]

I think the Portuguese they speak in Brazil is probably different from the Portuguese they speak in Portugal

I used to hang with these Argentinians, and I thought it was funny they made fun of the way the Spanish (from Spain) talk

but I think the answer to your question is "yes"

Yes, they are different. The Portuguese were having a hissy fit a couple of years ago because Brazilian words and pronounciations were taking root in their country due to how popular Brazilian music, film and tv shows are over there.