Interesting article on the Appalchian dialect

http://www.commdiginews.com/life/unique-dialect-identifies-the-mountain-people-of-appalachia-10803/

Unique dialect identifies the Mountain People of Appalachia
By Lisa King, Communities Digital News
February 27, 2014

WYTHE COUNTY, Va., February 27, 2014 — When trying to define the roots of Appalachian mountain language, to make sweeping generalizations more often than not sacrifices accuracy. Since pioneers from virtually all parts of Europe made the trek to the mountains to settle, folks can drive an hour in any direction and find themselves scratching their heads at how different the local lingo is from one mountain hollow to the next.

It is true that various terms are rooted in Elizabethan English, Scottish, Celtic, and Irish languages, and dialects do remain in use amongst the Appalachian people, but there is no across the board commonality amongst them that explains the unique nature of the language, other than geography. Urban immigrant and ethic concentrations existed, yet no clearly distinct way of speaking beyond a common accent had developed in these places.

The extreme mountain terrain meant that settlements were more enclaves than communities, with isolation, as always, the common theme. Because of this, languages developed almost within a vacuum, with little to no outside influence. These peculiarities are still alive and well today, even if the relative isolation no longer exists. The unique style of speech itself has become a part of the Appalachian identity.

One common theme I can list is a tendency to drop any consonant that isn’t absolutely necessary. When saying any verb that ends in “ing,” such as “walking,” the “G” will always be dropped. It’s always “walkin” and never “walking.” MORE