Language
English and French are both commonly spoken throughout the Ottawa Valley on both sides of the river. Regional English accents are rare in Canada, but because of its isolation (before the arrival of the railways) and also through the mixture of the dominant French, Irish and Scottish populations, the valley at one time developed a distinctive dialect referred to as the Ottawa Valley Twang. Many traces of it can still be heard today, especially in the valley's more isolated western portions.
The Counties of Prescott and Russell County, in the Ottawa Valley, has the highest concentration of francophones in Canada, living west of Quebec. The variant of French spoken in this area of the province is also based on Quebec French, but distinctly different from that of the Outaouais region.
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Famous quotes containing the word language:
“There’s a cool web of language winds us in,
Retreat from too much joy or too much fear.”
—Robert Graves (1895–1985)
“One who speaks a foreign language just a little takes more pleasure in it than one who speaks it well. Enjoyment belongs to those who know things halfway.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“No language is rude that can boast polite writers.”
—Aubrey Beardsley (1872–1898)