The Baltimore dialect, also known as Baltimorese (sometimes pseudophonetically written Bawlmerese or Ballimerese), is a dialect of American English in the Mid-Atlantic United States that originated among the White blue-collar residents of South and Southeast Baltimore. It has a few similarities with the Philadelphia dialect, although they can sound very different. The most notable characteristics of Baltimore English are the fronted "oh" sound (occasionally written out as "eh-ew" or "ao") and the usage of the endearment "hon".
It is spoken mostly in Baltimore City and the surrounding areas (particularly Essex, Dundalk, Middle River). It is also heard in other parts of the nearby counties – Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Howard. While the dialect is localized in these areas, it is not limited to them and can be heard as far west as Frederick and Hagerstown, as far north as Elkton, as far east as Ocean City and as far south as Calvert County. Due to Maryland's small size and its close proximity to a variety of strong cultures, the further one gets from Baltimore, the more the local speech is influenced by these other cultures. For example, the speech of Western Maryland is influenced by Appalachia, Northeast Maryland by Delaware Valley and the Eastern Shore of Maryland by the Tidewater accent. Families who migrated out of the city along the Maryland Route 140 and Maryland Route 26 corridors brought the dialect and in some cases pronunciations melded with local colloquialisms such as the word "bixicated" referring to someone who is silly or simple.
View MorePolice say four teenagers are facing charges after they were allegedly caught in a stolen vehicle and entered an occupied home in Baltimore. On Sunday around 7:30...
Every now and then I like to celebrate our heritage and list words that I’ve heard spoken in the mountain dialect. There is a difference between those raised in the country and those raised in the city, with the country ......
That the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) would cut interest rates by 25 basis points was the consensus among analysts. By doing exactly that and also changing the policy stance from neutral to accommodative, the Reserve Bank of India has made it clear that it intends to support economic growth going forward. The Governor’s...
You can bet Baltimore files more questionable lawsuits....
WASHINGTON (AP) — There are sharp generational disagreements among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders when it comes to how the U.S. should handle mass deportations, with older AAPI adults — many of whom are themselves immigrants — taking a much tougher stance on unlawful border crossers, according to a new...