Haqi, I am afraid you are not up to speed on dialects. First, Manhattan is not notable for its "accent". The accent that most people associate with ethnic New Yorkers came to be called a Brooklyn accent, although it is true that it also was found on the Lower East Side. Its base is Yiddish and Italian, with some other things thrown in. I understand that the lower class, non- Cajun New Orleans accent is almost exactly the same, from a similar immigrant mix. People in Manhattan come from all around the city, indeed, all around the country, and tend to speak like Jerry Seinfeld, that is, in a toned- up, slightly regional accent, with variations according to background.
Most of the NY cab drivers are immigrants, many from Muslim countries or the Caribbean, and they have thick accents. Many hotels have a lot of Russian and Ukrainian immigrants as bellhops, and they have strong accents. In Chinatown, a surprising number of people barely speak English, and among Hispanics, a suprising number are bilingual. However, your average waitress or desk clerk is still likely to have an American accent.
Similarly, only lower and working class ethnics have strong New Jersey accents. In most of the state, the variation from standard English is not so great...... |
