"It's Impor Tant"

[MeganC]

Have you noticed these trends in language lately? I have.

Let's start with the title reference.

For most of my life the word 'important' has been pronounced as one word and in common pronunciation the first 't' is not as accented as the last one.

These days the word is sometimes being pronounced in the media as if it were two distinct words. "Impor" and "Tant". Sometimes with the brief break between the two portions of the word that would typically only occur between two distinct words.

I personally find this affectation to be pretentious and I call it out when I hear it.

Next up is the use of "They/Them/Theirs" to describe things that used to be described as properties of "he/her, hers/his, she/he".

This started in 2017 when the Associated Press all on their own decided to manipulate our language to allow the use of plural pronouns as singular pronouns.

https://aceseditors.org/news/2017/ap-style-for-first-time-allows-use-of-they-as-singular-pronoun

March 24, 2017 • By Gerri Berendzen • Conferences
The Associated Press Stylebook says it is “opening the door” to use of the singular they.

A new stylebook entry, which was announced Thursday as part of the AP’s session at the 21st national conference of ACES: The Society for Editing in St. Petersburg, Fla., for the first time allows use of they as a singular pronoun or gender-neutral pronoun.

“We stress that it’s usually possible to write around that,” said Paula Froke, lead editor for the AP Stylebook. “But we offer new advice for two reasons: recognition that the spoken language uses they as singular and we also recognize the need for a pronoun for people who don’t identify as a he or a she.”

Myself, I refuse to be manipulated like this and I insist on using gender-specific pronouns when I know the gender of the subject person.

Lastly is the creeping invasion of Spanish language pronunciations into the media and common usage.

I often watch news from around the US and I am hearing American cities being pronounced as if they were Mexican cities.

For instance, 'San Francisco' becomes "Sonn Fran-seesko" with a roll of the tongue on the 'r'.

'Monica' becomes "Moe-neeka". And many other names are pronounced with the rapid-fire Spanish delivery that is all but incomprehensible to most English language speakers.

I have even heard 'Texas' pronounced as "Tay-hass" on the Los Angeles TV news. 

I frequently complain when I hear this crap.

In any case, I refuse to participate in this clearly coordinated attack on our language and culture.

What you do is up to you. 

[DefiantMassRINO]

I'm from Boston.  I mispronounce many words, especially the ones with 'r' and ending in 'g'.

The first 't' is part of the word's original Latin root.

"Important" (mid-15th century)
originates from Medieval Latin importantem, meaning "bearing weight or consequence," derived from Latin importare ("to carry in, bring in"). It evolved to signify "significant" by metaphorically "carrying" weight or consequence, influenced by Old French and entering English to denote having high influence, value, or authority.

Key Etymological Details:

Root Components: From Latin in- ("into, in") + portare ("to carry"), literally meaning to bring something in.

Evolution: The shift from "bring in" to "significant" occurred in Medieval Latin importare, which began to mean "be significant in" or "to concern," as suggested on English Language & Usage Stack Exchange.

Historical Usage: First appeared in English in the mid-15th century.

Pompous Meaning: The usage meaning "pretentious" or "pompous" developed later, around 1713.

Related Words: Related to import (both the verb for trade and the noun for meaning/weight), according to the Online Etymology Dictionary.

[mountaineer]

In my newspaper reporting days, I faithfully followed the AP Style Book. But now that it decrees the capitalization of "black," but not "white," it pretty much has jumped the shark.

[MeganC]

In my newspaper reporting days, I faithfully followed the AP Style Book. But now that it decrees the capitalization of "black," but not "white," it pretty much has jumped the shark.

Agreed. I refuse to capitalize 'black' since there is no country named Blackistan that would be the ancestral homeland of the ethnic Black people. 

[andy58-in-nh]

Agreed. I refuse to capitalize 'black' since there is no country named Blackistan that would be the ancestral homeland of the ethnic Black people. 

Excellent point, and a grammatically sound one. 

And any American, outside of a Spanish language class, who says "Tay-hass" for Texas ought to be roped, tied and branded.

[roamer_1]

I'm from Boston.  I mispronounce many words, especially the ones with 'r' and ending in 'g'.

I find that to be quaint - I myself speak with a distinct Western drawl (as opposed to the more genteel Southern one). Let's not lose that which brings flavor to the English language. 

[andy58-in-nh]

I find that to be quaint - I myself speak with a distinct Western drawl (as opposed to the more genteel Southern one). Let's not lose what brings flavor to the English language. 

Agree 100%. But we're fighting a battle against demography. 

As time has passed, distinct regional linguistic differences in American speech have grown more muted due to migration (internal), immigration (external) and cultural homogenization.

I have always had a great ear for accents and can often place someone within a few hundred miles of where they grew up or learned to speak.

Example: to some Northeastern ears, all Southern accents might sound the same, but they are absolutely not. They range from Virginia Tidewater to Carolina Piedmont to Scots-Irish Appalachian to Deep Southern to East Texan and West Texan and Francophonic Cajun and far beyond.  These accents are a reflection of the richness of our culture and history.

Similarly: up here in the Northeast, you've got your mid-Atlantic coastal variations (Baltimore... sorry, Ballmerr...), Philadelphia/South Jersey speakers, New Yawkahs (of course), Yankee patricians, Downeasters (ayyy-yuh) and Bostonians like me who drop their "r"s (aaahs), pronounce "o"s after a consonant as "awww" (Muhthuh uh Gawwwd, what the hell ahhh yuh doin'?) and sometimes add "r"s to the end of words where they don't exist (Whose bright idear was that?). 

[roamer_1]

Agree 100%. But we're fighting a battle against demography. 

As time has passed, distinct regional linguistic differences in American speech have grown more muted due to migration (internal), immigration (external) and cultural homogenization.

I have always had a great ear for accents and can often place someone within a few hundred miles of where they grew up or learned to speak.

Example: to some Northeastern ears, all Southern accents might sound the same, but they are absolutely not. They range from Virginia Tidewater to Carolina Piedmont to Scots-Irish Appalachian to Deep Southern to East Texan and West Texan and Francophonic Cajun and far beyond.  These accents are a reflection of the richness of our culture and history.

Similarly: up here in the Northeast, you've got your mid-Atlantic coastal variations (Baltimore... sorry, Ballmerr...), Philadelphia/South Jersey speakers, New Yawkahs (of course), Yankee patricians, Downeasters (ayyy-yuh) and Bostonians like me who drop their "r"s (aaahs), pronounce "o"s after a consonant as "awww" (Muhthuh uh Gawwwd, what the hell ahhh yuh doin'?) and sometimes add "r"s to the end of words where they don't exist (Whose bright idear was that?). 

I agree completely - Though I attribute the homogenizing more to the TV than any other thing.

I have a weird affectation that I come by naturally - Being raised out here in the rural West I tend to slope along in my speech, with plenty of redneck colloquialisms to lend it salt with that whole Western drawl thing... It comes as naturally to me as breathing.

But I was born in Chicago, and if I need to talk fast, or if I am engaged in furious debate, that Chicago accent flops right to the fore, 'Dis, dat, and de udder ting', complete and full throated, like I never left Illinios.

I really can't explain it, but it's how I roll 

Returning to the TV in relation to the OP... I think that indoctrination has been going on for a very long time, long long before anyone looked up and noticed.

[andy58-in-nh]

I agree completely - Though I attribute the homogenizing more to the TV than any other thing.

I have a weird affectation that I come by naturally - Being raised out here in the rural West I tend to slope along in my speech, with plenty of redneck colloquialisms to lend it salt with that whole Western drawl thing... It comes as naturally to me as breathing.

But I was born in Chicago, and if I need to talk fast, or if I am engaged in furious debate, that Chicago accent flops right to the fore, 'Dis, dat, and de udder ting', complete and full throated, like I never left Illinios.

I really can't explain it, but it's how I roll 

Returning to the TV in relation to the OP... I think that indoctrination has been going on for a very long time, long long before anyone looked up and noticed.

You're definitely right on about TV as a homogenizing influence on speech.

For years, if you auditioned for voice-overs (which I have done) or wanted to do TV news broadcasts, you had to drop all traces of a regional accent and speak in a flat, unaccented voice that is closest to near-Midwestern (as with upstate NY, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan) but without any short vowel sounds.

Now I tend to speak in that manner publicly, but whenever I have a few drinks with the boys... the Boston thing just rolls right out of my mouth. Jeez, I toldjyuh that the Bruinz needed anothuh gawd-dam right shawwht fawh-wuhd!!

Chicagoland denizens have an instantly-identifiable sound that borrows from the Midwest, but hints slightly at the Scandinavian influence to their north and west (Wisconsin, Minnesota, eastern Dakotas).     

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

You're definitely right on about TV as a homogenizing influence on speech.

For years, if you auditioned for voice-overs (which I have done) or wanted to do TV news broadcasts, you had to drop all traces of a regional accent and speak in a flat, unaccented voice that is closest to near-Midwestern (as with upstate NY, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan) but without any short vowel sounds.

Now I tend to speak in that manner publicly, but whenever I have a few drinks with the boys... the Boston thing just rolls right out of my mouth. Jeez, I toldjyuh that the Bruinz needed anothuh gawd-dam right shawwht fawh-wuhd!!

Chicagoland denizens have an instantly-identifiable sound that borrows from the Midwest, but hints slightly at the Scandinavian influence to their north and west (Wisconsin, Minnesota, eastern Dakotas).   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n2cIeIpzLA

Oldie but goodie re: the boston accent.

[andy58-in-nh]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n2cIeIpzLA

Oldie but goodie re: the boston accent.

I haven't seen that for a couple of years - an instant classic. Sit at any seaside bar on the Mass. South Shore and you'll hear 10 guys who sound just like that. 

[mountaineer]

My late father was from southern WV. The accent is about as "hick" as it gets. After WWII he pursued a master's degree in Speech (radio) and they drummed that accent right out of him. You'd never have known his origins, his speech was so neutral.