Why do Minnesotans have accents? [View all]

[mysteryowl]

The key to detecting a Minnesota accent can be as simple as asking someone to pronounce the name of our state. The so-called "Minnesota o" — as long as a Minnesota goodbye — is among the accent's most distinct characteristics.

That flat, nasal Minnesota accent has come to symbolize a folksy charm. After "Fargo" infamously showcased the niche dialect, it became a subject of curiosity and consternation. Hollywood actors who have portrayed Minnesotans say it's the toughest accent they've tackled.

And even native speakers want to know more. "Why do Minnesotans have accents?"
[snip]
"That's where the controversy is," said Daniel Haataja, a linguist who teaches Finnish and phonology at the University of Minnesota, when asked about the accent's origins. "I don't think it's settled."

Many linguists attribute Minnesotans' unusual single-tone pronunciation of long "a"s and "o"s to the influence of Scandinavian settlers, as those sounds are common in languages of that region.
[snip]
"So the question is whether those characteristics were already existing in the English of the earliest English-speaking immigrants," he said. "Or whether those characteristics came from Swedish and Norwegian."

https://www2.startribune.com/speech-dialect-scandinavian-norway-sweden-fargo-minnesota-accent-flat-nasal/600114150/

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