There is one dialect spoken exclusively in one small portion of the United States that is not considered an American dialect.

The BBC investigated the Hoi Toider brogue, a style of English spoken by the residents of Ocracoke Island in North Carolina that blends Elizabethan English with Irish and Scottish flourishes, a little German, some Native American words and phrases, and even tosses in pirate slang.

The name of the dialect, Hoi Toider, is itself an example of the dialect. Hoi Toider is how the locals say the words “High Tider,” a nickname for the island’s residents. From that alone, you can understand why some visitors assume the locals were born in Ireland or Australia rather than being born and raised in the United States.

Residents Of A Small North Carolina Island Speak A Dialect Not Considered American

The community is isolated, which helps to preserve its unique speech patterns. The seaside town has long had a varied mix of residents, from English sailors to rogue pirates to Native Americans, all of whom have called Ocracoke Island home since the 1600s.

The island was particularly well-suited for pirates since there are no bridges connecting the island to the mainland. You can’t take a plane there since there is no runway to land on. You can only get there by boat, and in the 1600s and early 1700s, that made the island a perfect pirate safe house.

Pirates like Blackbeard’s quartermaster, William Howard, settled on Orcacoke to hide from King George, becoming one of its earliest settlers. Others followed suit, and the isolated community eventually grew, developing a distinct dialect that blended elements from its diverse cultures—a dialect that is now fading from existence.

A combination of modern technology that’s broadened the dialectical horizons of its locals and an influx of mainland residents and tourists means the island’s youth are less likely to speak traditional Hoi Toider.

“I see more and more people coming here,” said resident Daphne Bennink, who visited the island 35 years ago and never went back to her home state of New York. “On Ocracoke, you have this kind of patchwork quilt of all people from all walks. It’s a little bit of a melting pot.”

Fewer than half of the island’s residents speak the full dialect. Linguists believe the dialect might go extinct within a generation. While that prospect seems to sadden some, most seem to realize that it’s not a dialect that makes them a community that’s been able to thrive while being relatively cut off from the rest of the United States.

This small island is filled with people who care about each other, want what’s best for each other, and will help each other in any way they can.