Pittsburghese: Of Yinzers, Gumbands, Jaggers, N’at
Always had a hankering to visit the Galapagos Islands but can’t afford the trip? Here’s a viable alternative: Come to Pittsburgh.
According to this 2006 New York Times article, our fair city is the “Galapagos Islands of American Dialect”. You might not hear the bark of the sea lion, the squawk of the red-footed booby, or the harumph of the giant tortoise, but you will hear some of the most unusual speech found anywhere in the United States. In fact, the way Pittsburghers talk is unique enough to warrant its own name – “Pittsburghese”, its own entry in Wikipedia, and the ongoing interest of researchers at institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University.
For Pittsburghers, Pittsburghese is without doubt a popular topic of conversation. Ask a group of locals for some examples and they will enthusiastically oblige you. People here take pride in the way they speak. There is no stigma associated with talking like a native, which is very refreshing and is typical of the way the city views itself. People from Pittsburgh are proud to be from Pittsburgh. And they have reason to be! Peculiar speech sounds can be found in many populations within the United States but in general, they are not restricted to one small geographic location. Usually, they can be found over a large area or region. But there is one peculiar pronunciation that truly seems to be found only in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Meet the /aw/ monophthongization. Put in layman’s terms, people here pronounced “ow” as “ah”. No one in Pittsburgh ever goes downtown. They go dahntahn! And that’s a place you will only find in Pittsburgh, PA.
Here are some other examples of Pittsburghese:
Phonology
- Cot sounds like caught, not sounds like naught.
- Feel sounds like fill, fool sounds like full.
- Towel and tile sound the same.
Vocabulary
- Gumband – rubber band.
- Jag – to prick or stab.
- Jagger – a small, pointy object such as a thorn.
- Nebby – nosey.
- Redd up – to tidy or clean up.
- Slippy – slippery.
- Yinz – second person plural pronoun – “you ones”.
- Yinzer – speaker of Pittsburghese.
- N’at – along with some other stuff. Reduction of “and that”.
Why do Pittsburghers talk the way they do? No one can say for sure. It might have something to do with the fact that Pittsburgh is a city of many distinct neighborhoods, each settled by a different immigrant population. It is believed, for instance, that “yinz” came about as Irish-speaking immigrants learned English. In Irish, there is a distinction between the singular and plural form of “you”, but in English there is no such distinction. “You went dahntahn” could just as easily refer to one person as it could one hundred people. To make up for their lost second-person plural, the new speakers of English said “you ones”. Over time, this became you’uns and then youns and then yunz and then yinz. Incidentally, the same thing happened in the South (y’all) and in New Jersey (yous).
The most fun thing about Pittsburghese, and about dialects in general, is that they shouldn’t exist at all. Different ways of speaking make it harder for us to communicate with one another, not easier. And yet they persist. And it’s a good thing, or we would have one less answer to the question of “Why Pittsburgh?”
Filed under General | Comment (0)Q: Why Pittsburgh? A: Great Value
As a relative newcomer to the city of Pittsburgh I often get asked, “Why?”
“Why did you move there?”
“Why is it a good city to live in?”
“Why is it a good place to buy a home?”
In short, “Why Pittsburgh?”
In an ongoing series of posts, I will examine the numerous reasons why Pittsburgh is a great place to live, and an even better place to buy real estate.
You Can’t Beat the Value of Pittsburgh Real Estate
According to the National Association of Realtors, the median sales price of existing single-family homes in Pittsburgh is less than $119,000. Compare that to a national median of almost $200,000. For further comparison, consider the median prices in a sampling of other cities such as Philadelphia ($231,000), Chicago ($246,000), and Boston ($361,000). It soon becomes clear that compared to other major metropolitan areas offering amenities similar to those found in Pittsburgh (more of which later), real estate here is a steal. In fact, according to cnnmoney.com, real estate in the Pittsburgh area is undervalued by as much as 15% when compared to the rest of the country.
But the price of a home is not the only thing to consider, even if you are getting very good value for your money. You also want to be satisfied that you are making a good investment, something that can be tricky given the current uncertain state of the real estate market. Luckily for those considering investing in a home in Pittsburgh, the real estate market here is fairly strong or at the very least, stable. According to ABC news and Forbes, as of 2009 Pittsburgh sits near the top of the list of the country’s strongest real estate markets. Ironically, the reason for Pittsburgh’s current stability might lie in the fact that it wasn’t a beneficiary of the real estate “boom” experienced by many cities over the past few years. Real estate values here did not explode the way they did in some cities during the dawn of the new millennium, but by the same token, they are now avoiding the “bust” which is the flip side of most “booms”.
Another reason for the stability of the local real estate market is that Pittsburgh is experiencing growth in industries such as education, health care, and technology. This growth results in new jobs, which results in greater demand for housing.
While Pittsburgh real estate appears to be a good value and a good investment, there is also something less tangible to be considered when contemplating living in, and buying property in, a particular city. Specifically, it’s important that the neighborhoods and types of homes available suit your desires and needs. Luckily for anyone interested in Pittsburgh, there is such a wide variety of neighborhoods and homes available that it would be impossible to not find something you like.
Pittsburgh is made up of approximately 90 neighborhoods – yes I said 90 – and each one offers a unique mood and style. From transitional to well-established, from bohemian to posh, from hipster to prepster, from bustling to tranquil, Pittsburgh has it all. In terms of types of homes, again, you will find all types. The city offers a high percentage of older construction, which means you will find a lot of beautiful restorations. It is not unusual to find churches and warehouses, along with more traditional houses and buildings, that are in excess of a hundred years old and which have been turned into beautiful, modern living spaces. Older construction also means that bargains can be found if fixing up properties is something that gets your creative juices flowing. For those who prefer more contemporary construction, the demand for housing in Pittsburgh means that many modern condos and houses are available both in the city and in surrounding areas.
In conclusion, Pittsburgh is a great place in which to live and buy real estate for the simple reason that it offers great value. You can get a lot for your money, you are reasonably assured that you are making a good investment, and it is a safe bet that you will be able to find a home that appeals to you and meets your needs.
Filed under General | Comment (0)Welcome to the Pittsburgh Real Estate Group
We are here to assist people when they are looking for a home in the Pittsburgh area.
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