Ozark dialect to take center stage at Cherokee Village event

Above: Brooks Blevins, Ph.D.

Why did Grandma and Grandpa speak the way they did? What aspects of the Ozarks’ regional dialect have persisted into the twenty-first century, and what has faded? Where do those unusual words originate from?

The Spring River Gem & Mineral Club will host a presentation titled “How to Speak Ozark in Seven Simple Steps” on Thursday, Aug. 1, at 10 a.m. at the Thunderbird Center, 62 N. Lakeshore Road.

The speaker, Brooks Blevins, Ph.D., is the Noel Boyd Professor of Ozark Studies at Missouri State University and a leading authority on the region’s history and culture. According to a release from the club, his presentation “…will explore early ethnic and cultural influences on the Ozarks through the lens of dialect and accent. It dismisses the old notion of Elizabethan dialect in the Ozarks and instead looks at words, phrases, and speech patterns that were once common in vernacular Ozark (and usually Appalachian) language, tracing their origins to European or colonial American roots. This PowerPoint presentation invites frequent audience participation and includes a built-in ‘Talking Ozark’ quiz.”

Blevins, who attended through the eighth grade in Violet Hill in Izard County, comes from a family with deep roots in the Ozarks, stretching back more than 200 years. His History of the Ozarks trilogy and other works have helped define academic study of the region. He will have books available for purchase at the event.

“As a child, I looked at outhouses and wondered of their place in the years before,” said Blevins. “I just remember everything about the past intrigued me, of seeing old time relics on the farm growing up. I was interested in the stories that I heard my grandparents and the old-timers tell.”

The talk is the final installment in the club’s 2025 “Only in Arkansas” mini-series, which highlights the unique history and culture of the state.

The event is free and open to the public. The club encourages attendees to consider membership, which helps support its programming. Dues are $15 per individual or $25 per family or couple. Members enjoy benefits including access to the club’s library and participation in silent auctions for mineral and fossil specimens.

The next meeting will take place Thursday, Sept. 5, and will feature Kenton Adler, a Native American historian from Lyon College in Batesville. Adler will present “The Indian Ghost Dance,” exploring its significance in Native American history.

The Spring River Gem & Mineral Club hosts in-person meetings only. For more information, call or text 870-847-3109.

Image provided by the Spring River Gem & Mineral Club