The unique dialects of Appalachia give the mountain people their
identity  Because people from all over Europe settled in
Appalachia, there is no across the board commonality amongst the
communities that explains the unique nature of the language,
other than geography. Photo: Isolated farm in Great Smoky
Mountains  WYTHE COUNTY, Va., April 12, 2012 — When trying to
define the roots of Appalachian mountain language, to make
sweeping generalizations more often than not sacrifices
accuracy. Since pioneers from virtually all parts of Europe made
the trek to the mountains to settle, folks can drive an hour in
any direction and find themselves scratching their heads at how
different the local lingo is from one mountain hollow to the
next.    The extreme mountain terrain meant that settlements
were more enclaves than communities, with isolation, as always,
the common theme. Because of this, languages developed almost
within a vacuum, with little to no outside influence. These
peculiarities are still alive and well t