N.C. linguists say urban dialect spreads to rural areas

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - Researchers have found that the dialect spoken by young blacks in cities is spreading to their counterparts in parts of the rural South. <br> <br> Walt Wolfram and Erik Thomas at North Carolina State University analyzed interviews with 50 working-class blacks and whites born in Hyde County in eastern North Carolina. <br> <br> The isolated area has a distinctive dialect that turns ``high tide&#39;&#39; into ``hoi toide.&#39;&#39; Both blacks and whites have been speaking the dialect since the 18th century. <br> <br> Researchers say that, over time, younger blacks exposed to a wider culture began sounding less like rural Hyde County residents and more like people from large cities. Their talk is peppered with ebonic verb structures such as ``she be&#39;&#39; or ``we wasn&#39;t.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> In their new book, ``The Development of African American English,&#39;&#39; the linguists say the dialect&#39;s growing popularity might stem from attempts by blacks to bond more closely with one another.