I am directing a community theatre project that the actors need to speak in an Appalachian dialect. Is there a web site available that offers audio?
Thank you.

I'm from West Virginia. We sound just like your average texan. Most words run together with out a pause

Thank you, Christinaroberts--what about the Y'alls and Yins (not sure how to spell it)? Is there any common slang (the show is audience interactive). For example, in Michigan we call soda "pop", the upper peninsula is the U P, Bay City is near The Thumb, children are kids (as are baby goats, hmmm... )

I don't know about websites but there is a fella named David Allan Stern that made a whole bunch of dialect tapes. I don't have his tape on appalachian dialect because I can do most southern dialects pretty easily but he does have one. You can buy them at Samuel French bookstores.

One slang expression:
his'n and her'n for his and hers.

Words are rather run together, with a lot of beginnings and endings chopped off, as they are in some other southern dialects.

For example,
"How is your mother and all of them" might become
"how's ye mom an all'em".

ps. Children are also called "youngins"

Words are like

Overder- over there
You'ens -you all
Your typical jeff foxworthy video

There is a dictionary on the following site that I think might be helpful to you.l

Dictionary: Southern Appalachian English (http://www.cas.sc.edu/engl/dictionary/dictionary.html)

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/8176/mtnspeech.htmlHi, take a look at this site. Where I was raised most of the old timers spoke this way. For instance
Holp instead of help.
Clum a tree instead of climb.
A phrase like 'Upon my word and honor became "pom my wordnhonor"
Chimney was chimlee
I saw him, would have been spoken I seed him.
Kids would be yunguns.
You all= you'ins
Children=Lord have mercy will you (chilurn) be still (quiet) fur just a dang or da gum minute.
Arm = orm
barn=born
Lazy= That thar boy is the (sarryest)one in the da gum bunch.
Scared= I seen him (scurred ) stiff a many of a time. Or some may say skeered. I isn't skeered of no good fur nuthin snake. I'd chop hiz big ole head off with axe. Just ax(ask) my mammie, mommy, or momma.

I tried to find some audio tapes( no luck) You may contact colleges.They may lead you in the right direction. If I were you I would watch some movies to get a good idea. Try a movie called Nell, Bastard of Carolina, Next of kin are a few of the movies that may give you a good idea. Try to listen to Larry the Cable Guy he has the country twang down pat. But I must say he is not really close to the old timers that I grew up around, but it's the best I can suggest. You may also try listening to some Blue Grass music.

Edit: the movie is called Bastard out of Carolina. Some of the PBS stations have some decent documentaries that I have watched on snake handling ( mountain religion) and cooking where they interview some of the old timers about curing ham or making different types of biscuits. Good Luck

The Dialect of the Appalachian People (http://www.wvculture.org/history/journal_wvh/wvh30-2.html)

Transcripts: Southern Appalachian English (http://www.cas.sc.edu/engl/dictionary/transcripts.html)

Thought these might be helpful for you. The second one has some appalacian recordings of older people in the late 1930's... to give some examples... not quite the Jeff Foxworth sound... and there is a lot of distortion from the recordings... hope it is some help.

http://www.aca-dla.org/cgi-bin/queryresults.exe?&CISORESTMP=/site-templates/search_results.html&CISOVIEWTMP=/site-templates/item_viewer.html&CISOMODE=grid&CISOGRID=thumbnail,A,1;title,A,1;subjec,A,0;descri ,200,0;0,A,0;10&CISOBIB=title,A,1,N;subjec,A,0,N;descri,K,0,N;0,A, 0,N;0,A,0,N;10&CISOTHUMB=2,5&CISOTITLE=10&CISOROOT1=/Berea&CISOOP=all&CISOFIELD1=subjec&CISOBOX1=Tales

Wow it's a long link but hopefully it will work for you... you'll need Real Player

This is far better audio and variety than the previous links I offered. It was a fun search for me and brought back a lot of memories of my grandparents... as well as giving me some insights/understanding into my own speech patterns!

You'll have to click on each of the selections, then click again at the top where it will say diplay item...

Thanks for all the info. The play is going great. We open next Saturday and they look and sound great!!

Shel

(jut chin out and say YEE in a high pitched voice drawing the yee out then put the Dawgies at the end YEEEEEeeeee Dawgies... lol... just a little app. Humor there. Let is know how it goes... if you happen to get reviews you could post them or let us know how the play is received and reviewed.