Bovine Yinzers

Here in Pittsburgh the term Yinzer is often applied to people speaking the Pittsburghese dialect. We thought of the term as applying mainly to humans. But not any more. It appears that bovine Pittsburghers may also qualify for the "Yinzer" moniker as well.

Reuters reports that cows have regional accents. Lloyd Green, from southwest England, was one of a group of farmers who first noticed the phenomenon. "I spend a lot of time with my Friesians and they definitely 'moo' with a Somerset drawl," he said, referring to the breed of dairy cow he owns.

So if you're in the Pittsburgh area and you hear a cow saying "Moo an'at" then you're probably not imagining anything.


And it gets better: John Wells, Professor of Phonetics at University College London, said that a similar phenomenon had been found in birds."You find distinct chirping accents in the same species around the country."

So next time you're feeding the pigeons in Market Square, be alert for the sounds of "Coooo! Coooo! Hey watch where yer goin' ya jagoff!"