I'm only asking because I'm interested? I hear a lot of young people making statements as if they were questions? Their voice goes up at the end of a sentence like this?
2006-08-18 23:44:49 · 20 answers · asked by sparky 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
It's "upspeak" and it comes from Australian and the USA.
I think young people use it:
a) because they hear it a lot on tv
and
b) it's a way of checking that the listener is actually listening. It's the same as tagging a "you know?" or "isn't it?" on the end of a sentence. They're looking for some kind of reaction from the listener. I can't for the life of me remember what the linguistic term for these things is, though.
2006-08-19 08:51:42 · answer #1 · answered by jammycaketin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it's a form of an accent really. It isn't so prominent here in Northern Ohio, but of course the classic Californian stereotype includes this voice thing. I noticed that a lot of girls who consider themselves "preps" at my high school will make a point of making their voice go up at the end. If you watch a comedy skit thingy, you will often see the popular/rich girls talking like this. I'm not sure how or why this came to be, but it's just strange.
2006-08-19 01:53:10 · answer #2 · answered by Steph 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is their young mind adapting to their surroundings. It's a good thing... An attempt to learn. It's pretty much like what older people do when they post "questions" on Yahoo Answers.
2006-08-18 23:53:16 · answer #3 · answered by norobizaka 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Blame Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan? Antipodeans, especially from Sydney do this all the time?
If my daughter didn't come straight home from school in Hong Kong, when she finally arrived I'd ask, her where she'd been. 'I've been to Stanley Market?'
'With Debbie.' (An Australian school mate.) 'How do you know?'
'Because every answer you give sounds like a question?'.
2006-08-19 03:05:23 · answer #4 · answered by cymry3jones 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they're young. They're supposed to ask questions and I wish a lot more of them would - how else are they to learn and make decisions. Don't you remember being a kid?
2006-08-18 23:51:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Everything IS a question for young people. They're always learning.
2006-08-18 23:49:04 · answer #6 · answered by poutypitbull 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For young people everything is a question!
2006-08-18 23:51:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's trendy and also not only youg people are doing it.
I think it originates from all the crap Aussie / US soaps.
The English language is getting destroyed as well by words such as 'gobsmacked'
We should get back to BBC accents.
2006-08-18 23:50:10 · answer #8 · answered by Boscombe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's been going on for about 2 years and I would
guess they're trying to sound cute or chick but
I find it totally loathsome, if my nephews or neices
start slipping into that mode I point it out to them.
2006-08-19 04:05:10 · answer #9 · answered by watts2ask 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You mean it isn't?
I agree with him? It's from watching too much 'Neighbours' and 'Home and Away'?
All sentences are questions?
It gets on your nerves, doesn't it.
2006-08-18 23:54:13 · answer #10 · answered by used to live in Wales 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋