6. External and internal factors in a levelling process: Prevocalic (r) in Carlisle English
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Sandra Jansen
Abstract
This chapter addresses the language-internal and external factors in the levelling of (r) in Carlisle English, an urban community in the far northwest of England. Based on a quantitative analysis of oral history recordings and sociolinguistic interviews, which span 30 years in real time and 100 years in apparent time, this chapter concentrates on the distribution of this variant in different prevocalic environments. In particular, I explore internal and external constraints in the loss of taps, a formerly superregional feature which is now quite restricted geographically in the north of England. I argue that the different environments of prevocalic (r) need to be investigated separately because different mechanisms are at work in each environment and that languageinternal factors play an important part in this change. I also argue that the loss of PreR-dentalisation is linked to the loss of taps.
Abstract
This chapter addresses the language-internal and external factors in the levelling of (r) in Carlisle English, an urban community in the far northwest of England. Based on a quantitative analysis of oral history recordings and sociolinguistic interviews, which span 30 years in real time and 100 years in apparent time, this chapter concentrates on the distribution of this variant in different prevocalic environments. In particular, I explore internal and external constraints in the loss of taps, a formerly superregional feature which is now quite restricted geographically in the north of England. I argue that the different environments of prevocalic (r) need to be investigated separately because different mechanisms are at work in each environment and that languageinternal factors play an important part in this change. I also argue that the loss of PreR-dentalisation is linked to the loss of taps.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- List of figures and tables ix
- 1. Introduction 1
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I. Enregisterment
- 2. Northern English and enregisterment 17
- 3. Dickens and northern English: stereotyping and ‘authenticity’ reconsidered 41
- 4. The linguistic landscape of north-east England 61
- 5. Lenition and T-to-R are differently salient: the representation of competing realisations of /t/ in Liverpool English dialect literature 83
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II. Phonology
- 6. External and internal factors in a levelling process: Prevocalic (r) in Carlisle English 111
- 7. Scouse NURSE and northern happy: vowel change in Liverpool English 135
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III. Syntax and discourse features
- 8. Are Scottish national identities reflected in the syntax of Scottish newspapers? 169
- 9. Final but in northern Englishes 191
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IV. Sociolinguistics
- 10. Education, class and vernacular awareness on Tyneside 215
- 11. Changing domains of dialect use: A real-time study of Shetland schoolchildren 245
-
V. Language and corpus
- 12. New perspectives on Scottish Standard English: Introducing the Scottish component of the International Corpus of English 273
- Index 303
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- List of figures and tables ix
- 1. Introduction 1
-
I. Enregisterment
- 2. Northern English and enregisterment 17
- 3. Dickens and northern English: stereotyping and ‘authenticity’ reconsidered 41
- 4. The linguistic landscape of north-east England 61
- 5. Lenition and T-to-R are differently salient: the representation of competing realisations of /t/ in Liverpool English dialect literature 83
-
II. Phonology
- 6. External and internal factors in a levelling process: Prevocalic (r) in Carlisle English 111
- 7. Scouse NURSE and northern happy: vowel change in Liverpool English 135
-
III. Syntax and discourse features
- 8. Are Scottish national identities reflected in the syntax of Scottish newspapers? 169
- 9. Final but in northern Englishes 191
-
IV. Sociolinguistics
- 10. Education, class and vernacular awareness on Tyneside 215
- 11. Changing domains of dialect use: A real-time study of Shetland schoolchildren 245
-
V. Language and corpus
- 12. New perspectives on Scottish Standard English: Introducing the Scottish component of the International Corpus of English 273
- Index 303
