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Daniel Quinn wrote," I've attained somewhat of a reputation as a seer by
interrupting
conversation and asking the speaker, "What part of Canada do you come
from?" This is done as soon as I hear him or her use the word "about"
pronounced as "a-boot."
It is not only Canadians who say aboout for about, but folks from Sussex
County Delaware, lower eastern/western shore Marylanders who live outside
the cities, and rural Virginians from the Richmond area east. How aboout
some of y'all from Virginia adding to this?
That sound comes from our colonial heritage (I'm a native Delawarian) of
settlement by English fishermen from the southeastern coast of England.
There is an island in the Chesapeake bay named Tangier Island and the long
time (generational) residents on it speak the same way as is spoken in
certain villages in England.
David Dubin
This has been one man's opinion, your's may vary with mileage or place of
birth
