PHOENIX β Have you been caught in a haboob? Have you driven on a frontage road? Have you ever used a swamp box?
These are some of the terms that one may hear during their time in State 48, and a majority of residents want to see them preserved.
According to a survey by the Writing Tips Institute, 57% of Arizonans polled supported the idea of the Arizona dialect being βmade official by law (in order to protect it from dying out).β
The WTI described the stateβs dialect as, βa unique blend of Spanish, Native American, and cowboy lingo, vocabulary, grammar and intonation.β
But Karen Adams, a professor of linguistics, said the contours of the Arizona dialects are more nuanced than described. Adams is director of graduate studies in the Arizona State University department of English.
βThereβs not one way of talking in Arizona,β Adams said. βThereβs definitely differences in urban areas, and thereβs differences in rural areas. Thereβs differences in the linguistic background of the speakers themselves.β
According to Adams, a dialect is composed not only of an areaβs diction and pronunciation but the customs of speech as well. βThereβs also whatβs called βpragmatics.β That has to do with norms about how to take turns, whatβs polite, whatβs not polite,β said Adams, who taught an ASU class called Speaking Arizona.
Arizona dialects stand as a living memorial to the forces that have shaped the state. Maricopa, Gila and Cochise β all county names β each come from the language of Indigenous people.
βMesaβ is the Spanish word for table but refers to the geographic feature. The pronunciation of the desert animal that is the mascot for the hockey team now playing in Tempe as βki-yoteβ is a remnant of the Wild West. The Arabic word βhaboobβ was added to the lexicon by scientists in the 1970s to describe dust storms during monsoon season.
Though the Southwest may not have a dialect as culturally defined as, say, the American South or Northeast, Adams said there are a variety of ways to speak and sound βArizonan.β
βAs a linguist, I would have to say, βArizona dialects,β itβs plural,β Adams said. βWe all have dialects, we all speak different varieties of English.β
The dialect is still being shaped as the population of the state grows and people add the way they speak into the melting pot. According to a University of Arizona report, 62,086 Californians moved to Arizona between 2014 and 2018. Washington and Texas come in second and third with both states providing over 15,000 new residents to Arizona over the five-year period.
βThereβs always in-migration into Arizona, either from the West Coast or originally the East and the South,β Adams said. βAs long as thereβs continuous population movement, thereβs going to be changes in the different varieties, depending on whoβs moving into the area and whoβs not.β
Dialects deal with what is heard, but the importance of preserving them is rooted in the identities they represent, Adams said.
βFor people in some of the older communities in the Phoenix area, like Mesa or in some of the rural areas that are older, maintaining those particular usages is our way of saying weβre still here, and really, weβre an important part of this state,β Adams said.
Though there is no current legislative push to preserve the Arizona dialects, legislators could take a cue from the United Kingdom, where multiple languages and dialects co-exist.
In 2011, the Welsh National Assembly passed measures to make Welsh an official language within the country and created the role of the Welsh language commissioner to protect and develop the use of the language.
βWhat that means in essence, is that the public in Wales should be able to access services, public services through the medium of Welsh in Wales,β Welsh Language Commissioner Efa Gruffudd Jones said in an interview. βYou would certainly see, not in all of the shops, but in many shops on the high street, Welsh side by side with English signs. You would see if you went to support the Welsh football team that announcements would be made in Welsh and in English on the (speaker).β
According to Census 2021 in the United Kingdom, 17.8% of the population is able to speak Welsh. The Position of the Welsh Language 2016-20 report also stated that 86% of the Welsh population said that the language is something to be proud of, and 67% said that more needed to be done to protect the language.
Jones echoed that the way people speak β whether an official language or regional dialect β is integral to how the nation views itself.
βThereβs no question that the Welsh language is part of a Welsh identity, and itβs part of what makes Wales different from the other parts of the United Kingdom,β Jones said. βHowever, weβve been at pains to say that the Welsh language belongs to us or whether you speak the Welsh language or not.β
Though there are contours and nuances to the way Arizonans speak, Ryan Clark, who moved to Arizona from Montana 11 years ago, said there is one common thread through the dialects.
βThe one thing that Iβve always noticed all Arizonans say is: Itβs a dry heat.β
Whatβs a Gustnado? 6 monsoon weather terms every Tucsonan should know
Haboob
UpdatedTimelapse collection of the massive haboob that rolled through Yuma County yesterday during sunset in Tacna. #azwx #monsoon2018 #haboob #timelapse pic.twitter.com/72j8DIqEkC
— Sean Parker (@seanparkerphoto) July 10, 2018
A haboob is more than just a funny-sounding word. It is essentially a powerful dust storm.Β
Haboobs are most common in dry areas, such as Arizona's desert.
Gustnado
UpdatedWe've received numerous pictures this evening from the southeast side of Tucson. This feature depicted is a gustnado, it looks like a tornado but the formation is completely different. These gustnados form along the leading edge of gust fronts and can cause minor damage. #azwx pic.twitter.com/PVt3Do0fub
— NWS Tucson (@NWSTucson) July 8, 2018
To the average person, a gustnado might look like a baby tornado. However, the National Weather Service says a gustnado's formation is actually much different.Β
Gustnadoes form along the edge of storms and cause a tornado-looking whirlwind, like the one seen above from July 2018.
Microburst
UpdatedA microburst is said to have caused a giant art installation to crash down on Kino Parkway near 22nd StreetΒ a few years ago.
But what exactly is a microburst? It's a sudden, but powerful, gust of wind from a thunderstorm that can reach 100 miles per hour in speed. The National Weather Service says that microbursts can have a diameter as large as 2.5 miles and are powerful enough to cause extensive damage to trees, homes and other structures.
Dry lightning
UpdatedDry lightning is exactly what it sounds likeΒ β those beautiful lightning shows that happen when little to no rain is falling from the sky.
As you can imagine, wildfires are more likely to occur when dry lightning strikes.
Flash flood watch vs. flash flood warning
UpdatedThey all sound incredibly similar, but they aren't.Β
According to the National Weather Service, a flash flood warning is in place when a flash flood is happening or about to happen. What does that mean? If you're in an area that could be easily flooded, leave immediately.
Side note: A flash flood is a sudden flood that is often violent and can cause damages.Β
On the other hand, a flood warning is in place when dangerous weather is happening or about to happen. The same precautions should be taken for flood warnings and flash flood warnings.
A flood watch is put in place to help prepare people for potentially dangerous weather, such as floods. A flood watch is issued when there is a chance for flooding.
A flood advisory is less urgent than all of the above. The advisory is put in place to create awareness when a flood is not expected to be severe enough for a warning. The advisory is more so in place to alert people of potential inconveniences rather than any dangers.
Stupid Motorist Law
UpdatedYes, the Stupid Motorist Law is a real thing.
When drivers get stuck in a flood after purposely driving through it, the law allows rescue agencies to receive up to $2,000 for rescuing the driver.
Moral of the story: avoid flooded areas.