Overview
The “New York” dialect can now be found in parts of New Jersey, Long Island, Connecticut and some suburbs of the Eastern seaboard, as well as “the city” itself which always refers to Manhattan.
The city of New York consists of Manhattan and the Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens. Each borough can have a slight variation in dialect, depending on the neighborhood and its predominately ethnic mix.
The New York dialect is a composite of all the ethnic groups that immigrated from other parts of the world – the principal one’s being Yiddish, Russian, German, and Italian. As the melting pot mix changes, so do the linguistic influences which now include Spanish, especially Puerto Rican and Central American Spanish.
The dialects of Al Pacino and Mel Brooks might vary slightly as a result of the Italian and Yiddish influences, but certain principals remain.
Vocal Quality
- The point of resonance is between the lower lip and the lower front teeth.
- The Italian New York dialect has a slight denasal quality, an upward inflection, a slight minor key