Eh?

[Nono]

Am now in Canada carrying out linguistic research with which to confound Praxius, eh? By assembling examples of how Canadians constantly use the word "eh" eh? Writing it all down, but you gotta write fast, eh, cuz the word comes up every other sentence, eh? The Great Canadian Canadianism, eh?:)

[HelioPrime]

um...um.. the word um seems to be added into every speech around there. Close as I've been to Canada is maine, where they seem to use effort to add an "H" into every other word....Lobstah...Cahr....Mahrket...shohp...

[Praxius]

Have fun.

May I ask which area of Canada you are "Studying" this?

[triad]

It could be worse, we could use the words, "George Bush runs our country" instead of "eh".


(if you didnt gather, I am Canadian - eh)

[Nono]

Quote by: Prax May I ask which area of Canada you are "Studying" this?

Hamilton, Ontario -- God's Country.

[Praxius]

Quote by: HelioPrime um...um.. the word um seems to be added into every speech around there. Close as I've been to Canada is maine, where they seem to use effort to add an "H" into every other word....Lobstah...Cahr....Mahrket...shohp...

You know, one thing I've always found comical about the US accent.... paticularlly the Southern Accent, is how you guys pronounce "Vehicle."

Where I live, the H is silent (V-ick-L) .... but in the US, it seems to always be (Ve-Hick-L) where you focus on "Hick."

And when you hear an officer use it, it's like the main word that's focused on in the sentence.

"Can you step out of the Ve'HICK'le for a moment sir?"

The What?

"The Damn Atta'M'beel! Step out of the Atta'M'beel!!"

Who?

"Sir, I'ma gonna ask you one last time... step out of the VeeHick'Le!"

I'm sorry.... what?

"Ga'Damn Forign'ers.... don't come inta our country if'n you can't speak English!"

Who?

"That's it! Yer gett'n Taz'ard!"

[Praxius]

Quote by: Nono Hamilton, Ontario -- God's Country.

Hmmm.... Hamilton eh? I'm not sure how often they say that up there.

But don't forget, the term "Eh" isn't just isolated to Canada... I think people from New York are just confused Canadians.

"Eh, HowYouDo'in?"

"Eh, Forggetaboutit"

and then there's the Fonz.....


EEEEEHHHHHHHH!!!

[Nono]

Quote by: Prax V'Hick'L

Right. As in: "Yew thar! Where in tarnation do yew thank yer parkin' that-there Vee-HICKle?"

[triad]

I thought I'd contribute to your research...

The different uses of eh:

When you are confused:

Person A: Sir, your bank account has a negative balance because you spent money that you don't have.

Person B: Eh?


When you are mad:

Person A: That man is stealing your car. Your baby is in the car.

Person B: EEEHHH!!!


When you are in disbelief:

Person A: HelioPrime is heterosexual, despite earlier avatar pictures
Person B: Eh!?


You can also use it to confirm what you've just said:

Dodge is better than ford, eh?

[Praxius]

Right. As in: "Yew thar! Where in tarnation do yew thank yer parkin' that-there Vee-HICKle?"

Yeah, that's the ticket.

But I think if you would want to get immersed in Canadians who might say Eh all the time, you might want to head to a small town community, like a farming area or a fishing community.... their accents tend to be a lot more distinct and perhaps they would say Eh a lot more.

If you're in a city or densely populated area in Canada, you're not gonna find too many who say it.... since the diversity here in Canada is just about as equal, if not more to the US.

I personally feel our general accent today is more of a cross between northern US and British.... but it's blended so much, it just sounds more like a slower and clearer US accent.

But I'll wait and see what your results show.

[HelioPrime]

Quote by: Praxius You know, one thing I've always found comical about the US accent.... paticularlly the Southern Accent, is how you guys pronounce "Vehicle." Where I live, the H is silent (V-ick-L) .... but in the US, it seems to always be (Ve-Hick-L) where you focus on "Hick." And when you hear an officer use it, it's like the main word that's focused on in the sentence. "Can you step out of the Ve'HICK'le for a moment sir?" The What? "The Damn Atta'M'beel! Step out of the Atta'M'beel!!" Who? "Sir, I'ma gonna ask you one last time... step out of the VeeHick'Le!" I'm sorry.... what? "Ga'Damn Forign'ers.... don't come inta our country if'n you can't speak English!" Who? "That's it! Yer gett'n Taz'ard!"

HA!

I work with people from the southern states that do talk in a similar fashion. I find it funny how the same word can be spoken, or terms used for the same object.

CT women: Want some pancakes?

Maine man: Whaht? You mean frithers?

Alabama women: Fritters? ya'll cold or some'than? Ya'll want sum hot cakes?

Ask a man in West Virginia where the nearest Mobil is:

"well, Ya'll head east bout thirdy minutes, an its a whoop and a hollar from the intastate"

[gallo]

Quote by: HelioPrime um...um.. the word um seems to be added into every speech around there. Close as I've been to Canada is maine, where they seem to use effort to add an "H" into every other word....Lobstah...Cahr....Mahrket...shohp...

Actually, that isn't adding a "h", it is dropping an "r". It is typical of many regional accents in the U.S. - the drawls of the deep south and the far west (which is probably derived from the deep south). Most of those regional accents also add an "r" where there is none in some cases. Imagine a grizzled old cowboy sitting around a campfire

According to a TV weatherman from Boston when I was growing up, I lived in Montaner, the Capital being Helener. My wife still talks about the sofer in spite of the years of relentless teasing by our sons and their friends. They still laugh about it and it is still a sofer. Of course, a patton is a guide for sewing while Pattern was a famous general.

I grew up as a Montana city boy born of Iowans and surrounded by a western drawl. Thus I found I was able to assume that drawl at will. When I was teaching in Massachusetts, my students thought I had a funny accent, even though I could take on their accent if I wished. I fact, I spoke with a Havahd accent. Here in Texas, I can talk like a good old boy if I want. The differences are mostly the rhythm of speech, dropping and insertion of appropriate consonants (mostly drop or add an "r"), and the correct choice of regional, meaningless fillers, eh?, uh, etc. Such fillers had the result that English speakers thought the "Ugh" had some meaning in native american languages.

So to correct your non-observant comment. Lobstah is correct, cahr should be cah, mahrket should be mahket, shohp is more like shawp. Besides that, idea is ide-er, sofa is sofer, Woburn is Wubun. Of course, not only New Englanders, but also southerners and westerners have "idiers."

Believe it or not, regional American accents are the oldest pronounciations of English that still exist. The English have changed, while the U.S. not (very much). In fact, the accents of New England are recognized as the oldest in the English language, and they are disappearing.

[gallo]

Quote by: Praxius Have fun. May I ask which area of Canada you are "Studying" this?

I suspect that he isn't studying anything in any area of Canada. I suspect a bit of culture shock. For me, it lasted less than an hour when I spend a week in Toronto. After that was mostly a subconscience matter of substituting the Canadian "eh?" for the American "uh?" or "huh?", or in many cases, "duh" from my countrymen.

Maybe because I have traveled in Canada, as well as extensively in the U.S. that I don't see any reason to riducule linguistic custom. I have heard many accents and don't see why any should be sconed as somehow less than worthy.

Why don't you consider the southern use of "y'all", when used as a singular. What is the plural? Being a northern boy, I asked a friend from Alabama who frequently used "y'all" in conservation when addressing me, a single individual, what was the plural. Only a southerner would know the answer. Does Helio?

[Praxius]

Y'all could also just be "Me, Myself and I" when talking to an individual.

Something like "Can I have your undevided attention?"

[Mia]

Some people say bra? or bro? or huh? or hey? after every sentence. Sometimes it's cute, sometimes it's annoying.

[gallo]

Quote by: Praxius Y'all could also just be "Me, Myself and I" when talking to an individual. Something like "Can I have your undevided attention?"

Actually, that's wrong. It is never used in reference to oneself, just as "you" can never mean "me, myself and I". It's just a matter of quite elementry English grammar.

[Praxius]

Quote by: gallo Actually, that's wrong. It is never used in reference to oneself, just as "you" can never mean "me, myself and I". It's just a matter of quite elementry English grammar.

Well I worded it incorrectly, it's was like "Y'all" as in myself saying it to you..... I an talking to you, yourself, and er..... youz? I dunno, I was just making humor out of the word.

[Praxius]

Quote by: Mia Some people say bra? or bro? or huh? or hey? after every sentence. Sometimes it's cute, sometimes it's annoying.

OH! Like "Know what I'm Sayin?"

Dam I can't stand that at the end of sentances..... and rap artists and the sort say it all the time.

"So tell us about your new album"

"Yo man, this shit is tight, know what I'm sayin? This is like the best record I put out yet, know what I'm sayin? All dem foos out deer who didn't think I could put out another album after getting shot 12 times.... know what i'm sayin.... they just thought I'd be a busta having lossed 73% of my brain function.... But we ain't havin dat.... know what I'm sayin?"

"Er.... sorta"

"Yo, I'z telling it like it iz bro, you ain't steppin up & represent'n? I out'a pop my size 13's in yer narra ass, know what I'm sayin?"

I'm not a violent person, but even after putting up with several minutes of that, I'd have to take a bat and knock out the rest of that brain function...... know what i'm sayin, eh?

[Chancellor]

Quote by: gallo I suspect that he isn't studying anything in any area of Canada. I suspect a bit of culture shock. For me, it lasted less than an hour when I spend a week in Toronto. After that was mostly a subconscience matter of substituting the Canadian "eh?" for the American "uh?" or "huh?", or in many cases, "duh" from my countrymen. Maybe because I have traveled in Canada, as well as extensively in the U.S. that I don't see any reason to riducule linguistic custom. I have heard many accents and don't see why any should be sconed as somehow less than worthy. Why don't you consider the southern use of "y'all", when used as a singular. What is the plural? Being a northern boy, I asked a friend from Alabama who frequently used "y'all" in conservation when addressing me, a single individual, what was the plural. Only a southerner would know the answer. Does Helio?

The plural of y'all is (depending on who you talk to) all y'all or alla y'all.

Then, of course, there's "youse guys" here in New York State.

[gallo]

Quote by: Chancellor The plural of y'all is (depending on who you talk to) all y'all or alla y'all.

All y'all is correct.