Texas 5

Listen to Texas 5, a 43-year-old man from Houston and central Texas, United States. Click or tap the triangle-shaped play button to hear the subject.

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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

AGE: 43

DATE OF BIRTH (DD/MM/YYYY): 1957

PLACE OF BIRTH: Houston, Texas

GENDER: male

ETHNICITY: Caucasian

OCCUPATION: U.S. Post Office worker

EDUCATION: college

AREA(S) OF RESIDENCE OUTSIDE REPRESENTATIVE REGION FOR LONGER THAN SIX MONTHS:

Subject has lived in central Texas for 40 years.

OTHER INFLUENCES ON SPEECH: N/A

The text used in our recordings of scripted speech can be found by clicking here.

RECORDED BY: Pamela Christian

DATE OF RECORDING (DD/MM/YYYY): 23/05/2001

PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION OF SCRIPTED SPEECH: N/A

TRANSCRIBED BY: N/A

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): N/A

ORTHOGRAPHIC TRANSCRIPTION OF UNSCRIPTED SPEECH:

Yeah, I really identify with bein’ a Texan. Yeah, I (uh) I, I can remember being (uh) in high school, an’ even pre-high school (uh) campaigning for Dolph Briscoe, who was running for governor at the time, the Democratic governor. And so I did a little bit of work for him, and (um) y’know, passing around (uh, uh) — it was (uh) campaign literature, whatnot, so… Yeah, I really identified with this — with the state of Texas. And I used to have these, these (uh) discussions with my mother. Being a, a Yankee, she, she had this really (uh) strong affiliation with (uh) with the north. And (uh) she would always tell me, “Now, now never forget that you’re a Yankee, now, David.” An’ I said, “Yeah, well, I might ’a’ been born there, but …,” I said. I’ve always, y’know, felt more (uh) associated with (uh) the Rebel state o’ mind. (Uh) So … [Interviewer: And so (um) you work the Post Office?] Been workin’ for the Post Office now for (uh) gosh, 17 years. Seventeen years, which is amazing because I probably had about 20 different jobs before I started to work there. I’ve just done so many different little things, and various jobs. No careers really, but just a variety of work, y’know. Jus’ (uh) I was a (uh) construction foreman an’ a (uh) carpenter’s helper, and (uh) I was a plumber, a plumber’s helper, an’ a ditch digger, an’ a dishwasher, an’ a waiter, (uh) a retail salesclerk, a — oh, gosh, I mean I’ve — the lis’ goes on. I was as-assistant store manager for Walgreen’s. (Uh) I (um) worked at a liquor store, (uh) worked at a gas station. (Um) I’m probably leavin’ out a few o’ the jobs, but I had, y’know, a wide variety o’ jobs that I did. And (uh) I was a — cut grass, ’n’ (uh) landscaping (uh) artiste for a while, an’ (uh) — just a — I was a dock manager, y’know, in charge of shipping an’ receiving, y’know at a (uh) retail store. (Uh) Y’know, mostly physical work (uh), for the most part. I, I never felt comfortable sitting behind a desk. …

TRANSCRIBED BY: Jacqueline Baker

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): 07/07/2008

PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION OF UNSCRIPTED SPEECH: N/A

TRANSCRIBED BY: N/A

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): N/A

SCHOLARLY COMMENTARY:

This dialect is characterized by mid-level lilt extensions that give a pleasant and friendly quality to the voice. Subject speaks with a forward lip placement that aids the regularity and consistency of the vowel extensions. Short and long vowels are extended. Short vowels are extended with a slight “y” sound added to connect the vowel to the following consonant, such as in: practice (pra [y] ctice), have, mention (me [y] ntion, best, missed (mi [y] ssed), interested. Long “a” sounds have the “schwa” or short “u” extension preceding the vowel: shape (sh [u] ape), meditate, baby. Long “i” sound opens up to an “ah”: mind (m [ah] nd) high school, variety, exercise. The long “o” and “or” combinations are made rounder, warmer. They are also extended in duration: hold, post, mostly, boat, work, born, forty, north. Other notes: Words are often collapsed as in: workin’, he’per, comf’table, twen’y, hund’erd. Special pronunciation: artist = arteest; woman = woa-man; and in words like huge and human, the “h” is silent.

COMMENTARY BY: Pamela Christian

DATE OF COMMENTARY (DD/MM/YYYY): 23/05/2001

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