Hello,
I have just read an old thread about different Detroit accents which I found really fascinating. As a Brit who has never visited the US, it really got me thinking about a novel I am researching for my PhD. This novel is about a second-generation Iraqi woman living in Detroit who speaks Arabic and English. And this is where I know I could do with some Detroit accent expertise.
In the Arabic version of the book, the woman is clearly thinking in the Iraqi accent. In the English translation though, she sounds like a Brit! This has been commented on by US reviewers - quite basic things like "crisps" and "biscuits" have been used instead of "chips" and "cookies". And there's nothing that marks the accent as US in the grammar or in any of the language flow.
I know accents in different language communities can vary in one town. But I have been told that whichever country they are born in, most people living in Detroit since childhood, including Iraqis, would speak English with a Detroit accent, not BBC London style.
What I'd like to do is show how the translators could have translated her speech into US English Detroit-style. But as I've never been to Detroit and I'm a Brit, I really need to ask people who know, like yourselves.
What vowels should I be looking out for? Are there any particular expressions or turns of phrase that mark someone's accent as particularly from Detroit? Does generation make a difference? The era is 2003 in the book, and the woman is in her twenties.
Any thoughts or comments would be much appreciated! Many thanks!
Ruth:-)
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