Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Being someone who grew up in western Kentucky...Madisonville to be exact....and who has family in Oldham county.... Kentucky is definitely south. One can argue the area right next to Cincy is more Midwest....but anywhere else I consider the south. Louisville being a larger city would have more people from varying parts of the country...but my sister in law is from Louisville and she has a strong a southern accent as you can have. My parents who were born and raised in the Madisonville-Owensboro area have strong southern accents. I have not "lived" in Kentucky for 20 years other than visiting family, and I cannot get other how strong the accent is. Most of the time when travelling to Kentucky I have had to either go south on I-57 in Illinois or I-65 in Indiana....and the threshold from what I consider southern twang and midwest accent runs from near Effingham IL to Terre Haute then to about Columbus-Bloomington Indiana. South of that line you are in the south to me. I took my wife who is born and raised in North Dakota down to Kentucky a few years ago for the first time, and stopped in Effingham to eat and oh my we were not in midwest territory anymore. Southern ways took over, even had smoking section in Burger King (which I promptly promised to never visit again).
Growing up I hated to admit that Kentucky was the south....as I hated the heat/humidity of summer and loved winter but looking at it from afar...Kentucky is southern. Could see no difference from my hometown to Nashville which we visited quite frequently growing up.
I was being mildly facetious with the sweet tea argument. I mean, I've gotten sweet tea in Columbus, Ohio and it's definitely not the south. Granted, it wasn't good, but they still had it available.
And I wouldn't compare Louisville to Minneapolis. I was thinking more along the lines of St. Louis, Cincinnati or Columbus. All Midwestern cities that I think Louisville reflects. And the BBQ Festival is in Owensboro - which is over 100 miles away from Louisville...?
I went to school about 45 miles outside of Nashville, and I really don't think Louisville could ever compare to the southern culture that Nashville has. I like Louisville and the culture that they have - but I wouldn't ever group Nashville and Louisville in the same category.
Saying Louisville is Midwestern isn't an insult. It's like Northern Kentucky because they both border states that are definitely considered Midwestern. It's just a different culture than the rest of the state. Also, they seem to have a non-regional dialect - which is common of Midwesterners. They don't have a distinctive accent where you want to place them. Granted, it may be because my twang is so thick - and they sound more "northern" to me.
Ahem..... LOL, But according to every one of the dialect maps I provided above Louisville along with the rest of Kentucky are grouped within the Southern regional dialect. From personal experience I know Louisville's accent isn't an exact replica of Mayberry's, But neighter is Nashville's, Richmond, Knoxville, Lexington, Va Beach, Charlotte, and just about every major Southern city. However there is an undeniable Southern twang in the city, that is found NOWHERE in the Midwest. If you've ever stayed in Cincinnati for an extended period of time you must have heard a hillbilly joke about Kentucky at least once.
While you're saying that I shouldn't compare Louisville to an Upper Midwestern city like Minneanapolis or Milwaukee you began your post on this thread by comparing Louisville to a Deep Southern city (Birmingham) and from that concluded that Louisville isn't Southern. It's just regional perspective here. Like it or not those cities are indeed Midwestern, along with Cincinnati and St.Louis. I however have heard both St. Louis & Cincinnati being mentioned as Southern cities (though it is rare).
You made the claim that Western Kentucky was not Southern, so I gave you a prime example of Southerness in that region, I wasn't referring to Louisville.
If it's YOUR opinion that Louisville and Nashville are just worlds apart then that's fine, But undermining numerous linguistic studies, historical reference (slavery, Great migration, and Segregation), and probably the most accurate cultural map of the U.S. to come to that conclusion is a little silly don't ya think? If anything those sources are showing the complete opposite to be true, meaning Louisville and Kentucky have less in common with the Midwest and more in common with the South. In a way it's kind of an insult to Kentucky to say that Louisville just isn't Kentucky, because it's a major city of over 700,000 and attracts people from all walks of life, that's basically saying that the state of Kentucky is too backwards and incapable of producing a major city. Just look at Atlanta and Georgia, would you make the same argument for them, Or even New Orleans and Louisiana.
Ahem..... LOL, But according to every one of the dialect maps I provided above Louisville along with the rest of Kentucky are grouped within the Southern regional dialect. From personal experience I know Louisville's accent isn't an exact replica of Mayberry's, But neighter is Nashville's, Richmond, Knoxville, Lexington, Va Beach, Charlotte, and just about every major Southern city. However there is an undeniable Southern twang in the city, that is found NOWHERE in the Midwest. If you've ever stayed in Cincinnati for an extended period of time you must have heard a hillbilly joke about Kentucky at least once.
Lexington definitely has a dialect. Just watch the news and the majority of people interviewed have some sort of southern dialect. I think the same can be said for Nashville and Knoxville. Obviously people who weren't born and raised in Nashville don't have that sort of southern dialect - but those who were, you can tell.
And I never said that a dialect in Louisville didn't exist - I just said that I couldn't notice it because mine is so strong. A dialect "technically" exists in Cincinnati. When my good friend who was born and raised in Cincinnati went to school in Michigan, they made fun of her and called her a hick. And believe me - after living in Cincinnati for nearly 2 years, I heard plenty of "hick" jokes. However, I just brushed them off because the only thing that seperates Cincinnatians and "hicks" is a river. So, their claims just made them look stupid.
Quote:
While you're saying that I shouldn't compare Louisville to an Upper Midwestern city like Minneanapolis or Milwaukee you began your post on this thread by comparing Louisville to a Deep Southern city (Birmingham) and from that concluded that Louisville isn't Southern.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're confusing me with the girl who went to college in Birmingham and said that Louisville wasn't southern. I don't think it's dumb for people in Louisville to claim the South. I just think for a city that sits right on the Mason-Dixon line and sits right across from a state that's very much Midwestern, it just seems a little odd. But they are technically apart of a state that is considered southern. However, if people from Northern Kentucky claimed the South, then I looked at them like they were crazy because Northern Kentucky isn't really Kentucky. hehehehe.
Quote:
You made the claim that Western Kentucky was not Southern, so I gave you a prime example of Southerness in that region, I wasn't referring to Louisville.
Eh, I meant like severe Western Kentucky - like almost to Missouri. I've been to the BBQ Festival before and it was lovely.
Quote:
If it's YOUR opinion that Louisville and Nashville are just worlds apart then that's fine, But undermining numerous linguistic studies, historical reference (slavery, Great migration, and Segregation), and probably the most accurate cultural map of the U.S. to come to that conclusion is a little silly don't ya think?
I'm not comparing their past history or anything. I'm talking about what these cities have both evolved into. IMO, people from Nashville are very different than people from Louisville. I think Nashville has retained a southern culture regardless of its size.
Quote:
In a way it's kind of an insult to Kentucky to say that Louisville just isn't Kentucky, because it's a major city of over 700,000 and attracts people from all walks of life, that's basically saying that the state of Kentucky is too backwards and incapable of producing a major city. Just look at Atlanta and Georgia, would you make the same argument for them, Or even New Orleans and Louisiana.
I love Kentucky. It's nothing against Kentucky and it's nothing against Louisville. It's just saying that Kentucky is a multi-deminsional state. I think that the state loses its southern culture the farther north you go in the state. I think that the cities that border different states are influenced by the culture. I will admit that our town is probably influenced a lot by the culture of Tennessee because I see little difference in where I'm from and Tennessee.
Lexington definitely has a dialect. Just watch the news and the majority of people interviewed have some sort of southern dialect. I think the same can be said for Nashville and Knoxville. Obviously people who weren't born and raised in Nashville don't have that sort of southern dialect - but those who were, you can tell.
According to these linguistic maps Louisville does not lack the Southern accent niether. As far as the Lexington news interviews goes, Lexington is a city that is around about 1/4 the size of Louisville, so that face should be taken into consideration when making these judgement calls.
I find it kind of silly to sugguest that all natives to a major city have a local or regional accent.
Quote:
Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're confusing me with the girl who went to college in Birmingham and said that Louisville wasn't southern. I don't think it's dumb for people in Louisville to claim the South. I just think for a city that sits right on the Mason-Dixon line and sits right across from a state that's very much Midwestern, it just seems a little odd. But they are technically apart of a state that is considered southern. However, if people from Northern Kentucky claimed the South, then I looked at them like they were crazy because Northern Kentucky isn't really Kentucky. hehehehe.
I think you're under the impression that I'm sugguesting that Louisville is 100%Southern no Midwestern element whatsoever, and that's not what I'm sugguesting at all. Believe it or not the Mason Dixon Line has held cultural signifigance and to a smaller extent still does today (make reference on the previous page to the Baptist map). Louisville is truely the Gateway city to the South, in which Southern is widely embraced in a major city (coming from the North).
Quote:
Eh, I meant like severe Western Kentucky - like almost to Missouri. I've been to the BBQ Festival before and it was lovely.
You're actually refering to the Bootheel of Missouri which is surrounded by Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. This area is heavily rural and heavily black and quite frankly not Midwestern. This is the area of Missouri that grow cotton and is considered apart of the Mississippi Delta. If you reference the cultural map I posted the Bootheel of Missouri you're referring to along with the extreme Southwestern area of Kentucky is considered the Lowland South (In contrast with the rest of Kentucky and Tennessee which are considered Upland South), along with Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, ECT. One rural Kentucky county within this region you're referring to has a black population consisting of a quarter of it's population , UNDENIABLY Southern.
Quote:
I'm not comparing their past history or anything. I'm talking about what these cities have both evolved into. IMO, people from Nashville are very different than people from Louisville. I think Nashville has retained a southern culture regardless of its size
.
The culture of today is directly linked to the History of the two cities, which I explained on the previous page of this disscussion. This History in the opposite of that which is found in St. Louis and Cincinnati and the Midwest in General. The Great Migration is probably one of the biggest cultural dividers between Louisville and Midwestern cities. The city of Louisville and the state of Kentucky along with the rest of the South LOST black population to the Industrialized North during the first great migration. Cincinnati and St.Louis (especially St. Louis) gained their current black population through our lost, this is a true cultural divider along with slavery within the histories of these cities.
Quote:
I love Kentucky. It's nothing against Kentucky and it's nothing against Louisville. It's just saying that Kentucky is a multi-deminsional state. I think that the state loses its southern culture the farther north you go in the state. I think that the cities that border different states are influenced by the culture. I will admit that our town is probably influenced a lot by the culture of Tennessee because I see little difference in where I'm from and Tennessee.
If that's your opinion then that's fine. I too feel that the Northern Kentucky area of the state is indeed a small reflection of Cincinnati, and visa versa with Louisville and Southern Indiana. I however disagree with your argument that Kentucky's culture comes from bordering states, NO. I see no evidence to sugguest that the only reason Kentucky is Southern is because of Tennessee. The culture of this state seems to be prodominantly Southern.
I find it interesting that many people are promoting KY as midwestern by comparing it to Cincinnati and southern Indiana. Go farther north in Ohio or Indiana, into the beginning of the true midwest with its vowel slide accent, and you will learn that both Cincinnati and southern Indiana are considered to have strong "southern" influences - and if you are a native of Chicago, MI, etc and call someone in Cincinnati, you will probably interpret their accent as "southern". As a midwesterner (Chicago, Cleveland) who has spent a chunk of my adult life in Louisville and Lexington, I consider it more southern. Once again, though, people in Georgia, Miss, or Alabama would laugh at the reference.
To me, it is just reiterating what has been said several times. KY is a blend of cultures, especially in the larger urban areas where people have transplanted from across the country. More midwestern than deep south states, but usually viewed as "southern" from people in the rest of the country. And, don't confuse the unique Appalachian culture or accent with true Southern. They are similar in some ways, and KY is influenced by both, but there is a definite distinction between Appalachian culture and Southern culture.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're confusing me with the girl who went to college in Birmingham and said that Louisville wasn't southern. I don't think it's dumb for people in Louisville to claim the South. I just think for a city that sits right on the Mason-Dixon line and sits right across from a state that's very much Midwestern, it just seems a little odd. But they are technically apart of a state that is considered southern. However, if people from Northern Kentucky claimed the South, then I looked at them like they were crazy because Northern Kentucky isn't really Kentucky. hehehehe.
Yeah, I'm the one who said that. I'm a guy, btw
I used Birmingham along with Chicago to illustrate my point that it was neither 100% Midwestern nor 100% Southern. I said that it got more Midwestern as you travel farther north. It's a blend of both or "split." I also said that I thought that Midwestern culture was becoming increasingly more prominent. I say this because most of the younger people that I know of in Kentucky have far less discernable Southern characteristics than their parents or grandparents. Of course, these are just my personal observations.
Eeek. I disagree. I lived in Cincinnati for almost 2 years and there is no difference between Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. People who were born and raised there will tell you differently because Kentuckians don't want to be associated with "buckeyes" and Cincinnatians don't want to be associated with "hicks." Truth is, it's just one giant spill over. Greater Cincinnati encompasses not only Ohio, but Kentucky and Indiana. Northern Kentucky is NOTHING like the rest of the state. Northern Kentucky is Kentucky's bastard child hahahaha.
The reason I toss this question up is because I'm from southern Kentucky [almost Tennessee]. So we have that southern influence from Tennessee and I always considered Kentucky the south. Then I moved to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky and realized that the whole state really wasn't. Northern Kentucky has next to no southern culture. People were rude and abrasive. They made fun of my accent and I was asked to repeat things umpteen thousand times a week.
Then this past month I traveled Western Kentucky, and it really didn't seem southern to me, either because of the influence from Missouri. I wouldn't say it was like Northern Kentucky, but it wasn't what I was used to. Then Louisville is right across the river from Indiana - and I wouldn't consider Indiana southern, so I don't see why Louisville would be considered southern, either. hehehehe.
I was just curious as to what other people's perspectives were. I think "technically" Kentucky is a southern state because it's south of the Mason-Dixon line. But I wanted other people's takes on it as well
I made the same observation about Ohio when I moved there. Being from Wisconsin, I had always considered it to be "the South"...mainly because my family, who were the only people I had to base my young opinion on, was from the Indiana/Ohio state line-area of the state. They said, "pop" and had a slight twang and were farmers...so I thought that meant "South". Until I moved to Dayton. And when I visited the Toledo and Cleveland areas I was surprised at how many people sound like they're from Michigan!
I often have wondered whether Kentucky is considered the Midwest or the South as well. Has anyone ever noticed that the Weather Channel never mentions Kentucky with the rest of the South, but never mention it with the Midwest either? It's like we don't exist!
I often have wondered whether Kentucky is considered the Midwest or the South as well. Has anyone ever noticed that the Weather Channel never mentions Kentucky with the rest of the South, but never mention it with the Midwest either? It's like we don't exist!
Seriously! I don't think anyone knows how to classify us, even us!
Over here in Eastern Ky. we have been called a lot of dofferent things, some not so niceA couple years ago during our Hillbilly Days (for Shriner Hospital in Lexington) We decreed that we would from now on be called "Appalachian Americans"
Over here in Eastern Ky. we have been called a lot of dofferent things, some not so niceA couple years ago during our Hillbilly Days (for Shriner Hospital in Lexington) We decreed that we would from now on be called "Appalachian Americans"
hahaha I swear, people in Eastern KY are some of the friendliest people on earth!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
hahahaha. 
A couple years ago during our Hillbilly Days (for Shriner Hospital in Lexington) We decreed that we would from now on be called "Appalachian Americans"
