New Orleans English

New Orleans English is a special way of speaking that belongs to the city of New Orleans and the areas around it. People in New Orleans speak in many different ways, but two of these ways are special to the city. These two ways of speaking started around the 1800s and mix sounds from New York City and the Southern United States.

One special way of speaking is often called "Yat." This name comes from a common greeting people use, "Where y'at?" which means "How are you?" When people talk about "Yat," they often mean the accent that sounds a lot like the way people speak in working-class parts of New York City. This accent is mostly heard from people who live in certain parts of New Orleans, like the Ninth Ward.

People with this New Orleans accent might say "doze" instead of "those" and "mad" and "map" can sound different. These special ways of speaking make New Orleans unique and interesting.

History

A special New Orleans way of speaking, called the "Yat" accent, is often linked to white people who grew up in the New Orleans area, especially near the Irish Channel. This accent is often connected to working-class neighborhoods and shows a person's background.

People have noticed that the Yat accent sounds similar to the way people speak in the New York metropolitan area. Some think this is because of the history of immigrants from Europe, like the Irish, German, and Italian groups, who moved to both cities. Experts believe that trade and movement between New Orleans and New York helped spread these accents. Even before the United States bought Louisiana in 1803, many people from the North lived in New Orleans. Some say that business people from New York had a big effect on how people spoke in New Orleans back then.

Phonology

Many sounds in New Orleans English are similar to those in Southern American English or New York City English. Some special sounds in the "Yat" way of speaking include:

• Not mixing certain vowel sounds the way many other American accents do.
• Changing stress in words so the first syllable gets more emphasis.
• Saying "th" sounds like "t" or "d".
• Making some vowel sounds longer or shorter in special ways.

People in New Orleans often say the city's name as [nəˈwɔəlɪnz] or [nəˈwɔəliənz], with less stress on the word "New."

Vocabulary

Everyday and cultural terms

Some special words and phrases are used in New Orleans. "Y’at?" means "How are you?" and is short for "Where y’at?" A "lagniappe" is a little something extra, like a bonus. When people say "making groceries," they mean going grocery shopping. The "neutral ground" is the median between traffic lanes. "Uptown" and "downtown" describe directions, not if a place is nice or rough. "Downtown" points toward the river’s mouth. The "West Bank" is the area across the river, which has its own culture. In Louisiana, a "parish" is the same as a county. A "shotgun (house)" is a narrow house with rooms in a straight line.

Food and drink language

New Orleans has many fun food words. A "Po' boy" is a sandwich, and when it’s "dressed," it has lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo. "All dat" means everything on it. "Yakamein" is a Creole noodle soup, often eaten to feel better. A "Sno-ball" is shaved ice that’s fluffy like fresh snow, soaked in flavored syrup. A "Daiquiri" is often frozen and served to go, and it’s stronger than you might think. When people say "red beans," they usually mean red beans and rice, a traditional Monday meal.

Music, Mardi Gras and street culture

Music and Mardi Gras have special meanings in New Orleans. The "second line" is the dancing crowd that follows a brass band. "Social Aid & Pleasure Club" groups organize these second lines. "Bounce" is a local hip-hop style. "Indian" or "Mardi Gras Indian" refers to a masking tradition and has nothing to do with India. "Masking" means dressing up in Mardi Gras costumes. People often yell "Throw me something, mister!" at parade riders. A "Krewe" is a group that puts on parades.

Attitude and expression

People in New Orleans use special ways to show their feelings. "Who dat" shows pride for the Saints, or it can be a greeting or way to say who you are. "Baby," "Cher," or "Sha" are terms of address and don’t always mean romance. "Yeah you right" can mean agreement, acceptance, or polite dismissal, depending on how it’s said. "I’m on the way" might mean "leaving now" or "still getting dressed."

Local variance

The Yat accent is a strong version of the New Orleans accent that sounds a bit like a New York accent. It comes from places like the Ninth Ward, the Irish Channel, and Mid-City. You can hear softer versions of this accent in areas such as Lakeview, the Marigny, the Garden District, and parts of Gentilly, as well as in the suburbs. This accent exists in all seven parishes of the New Orleans metropolitan area, from St. Tammany to Plaquemines. Like many ways of speaking, it is usually clearer in older people. The area of Chalmette has the strongest Yat accent.

In popular culture

The name of the official mascot for the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition, held in New Orleans, came from shortening the phrase "See More of the Fair" to "Seymore D. Fair".

The special way people in New Orleans talk has appeared in many places across the city and the United States.

The main character in the cartoon strip Krazy Kat spoke with a slightly exaggerated version of an old Yat way of talking. Friends of the New Orleans-born cartoonist George Herriman remembered that he used many of the same special pronunciations.

Real New Orleans accents were rarely heard nationwide. People from New Orleans who became famous often tried to sound less local when speaking to larger audiences. After many people had to leave New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina, news coverage showed some of the local Yat accents to the whole country. Steven Seagal's show Lawman also introduced some Yat accents to viewers.

Ronnie Virgets, a writer from New Orleans, often uses local dialects and accents in his work, including a public radio program called Crescent City. WWNO, the local public radio station, broadcasts this program and makes past episodes available online.

A restaurant chain from the Midwest based in Indianapolis, Indiana is named Yats.

A cellphone company, Boost Mobile, used the phrase "Where Y'At?" in some of its early ads.

Who Dat? is a chant linked to the Yat dialect and used by fans of the New Orleans Saints football team. The full chant is "Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?" Fans of the team are called the "Who Dat Nation."

The Yat dialect is not often heard in movies or TV shows set in New Orleans. Usually, characters from New Orleans speak with a southern or Cajun accent. For example, in the 1986 film The Big Easy, Dennis Quaid uses an exaggerated version of these accents. However, this has started to change since Hurricane Katrina, with shows like HBO's Treme and movies like Werner Herzog's _Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans featuring real New Orleans locals speaking in Yat or similar ways.

Other local dialects and misconceptions

Historically, New Orleans was home to people from French, Spanish, and African backgrounds, which helped create the Louisiana Creole language before the city became part of the United States through the Louisiana Purchase. During the 1800s, the city shifted from speaking French to speaking a type of English where some sounds are not pronounced at the end of words, a feature common in much of the South.

Many people outside New Orleans think the local way of speaking is the same as Cajun English, which is spoken in other parts of South Louisiana. But the city's traditions are different from the rural area known as Acadiana. Although more people from Cajun backgrounds moved into the city during the oil boom in the late 20th century, their culture did not greatly change the local Creole or Yat culture. This mix-up often happens because tourism and entertainment sometimes use the word “Cajun” to attract visitors, even though it’s not accurate. People who speak with a New Orleans accent are usually proud of it because it comes from the city’s rich history of different cultures mixing together. This special accent has been fading in the city due to changes in where people live, but it remains strong in the surrounding areas. The Yat way of speaking still lives on in parts of the city such as Mid-city, Lakeview, parts of Gentilly, and Uptown.