Startseite Linguistik & Semiotik Rhotics, /uː/, and diphthongization in New Braunfels German
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Rhotics, /uː/, and diphthongization in New Braunfels German

  • Matthias Warmuth EMAIL logo
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 21. Juni 2022

Abstract

This paper investigates the status of rhotics, /uː/, and the diphthongization of /eː/ and /oː/ in New Braunfels German, a variety of Texas German, a set of moribund dialects spoken in Texas. Boas, Hans C. (2009a. The life and death of Texas German. Durham: Duke University Press: 158) notes that “retroflex /ɻ/ appears … [mainly] in borrowed words.” He further assumes that New Braunfels German “differs from other German American dialects such as Pennsylvania German and Wisconsin German in that English sounds almost never appear in native German words” (160). The results discussed here indicate that this statement no longer holds true. Today, perceptual analysis and phonological measurements of Texas German Dialect Project data reveal that both American English retroflex approximants and diphthongs [eɪ] and [oʊ] appear frequently. Moreover, /uː/ is sometimes centralized/fronted with short/mid-long quality. Language attrition and language death, two mutually reinforcing variables, appear as the driving forces for these phenomena.


Corresponding author: Matthias Warmuth, Department of Germanic Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, 2505 University Ave, C3300, Bur 374, 78712-1139, Austin, TX, USA, E-mail:

Acknowledgments

The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Texas at Austin (IRB 017090076), including a waiver of informed consent as it was determined that the research presents no more than minimal risk to subjects and a waiver of informed consent would not adversely affect the rights and welfare of subjects. The author thanks Marc Pierce, Alan Yu, and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable feedback.

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Received: 2021-05-18
Accepted: 2021-06-15
Published Online: 2022-06-21

© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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