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Now and Then - Dr. Roger Branch Sr.
Linguistic dynamics abound in 'Southern speak'
Dr  Roger Branch March WEB
Dr. Roger Branch Sr.
Yes, I know that I have written that there is no region-wide Southern dialect, but rather, many area-specific ways of speaking that tend to share words, phrases and constructions. They retain elements of “king's English” brought from Ireland, Ulster and Scotland, but incorporate some words and syntax from Africans, Native Americans, French and Spanish. Here, as elsewhere, language must be dynamic to meet the communication needs of people who share natural and social space.
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