by Labov
1972
Because tape-recorded interviews interferred with natural speech, Labov conducted 'rapid and anonymous observations.
He went to 3 stores--S. Klein (low status), Macy's (middle), and Saks (high status) and asked salesladies where were women's shoes to elicit the response "fourth floor." He then said "excuse me?" to elicit an emphatic pronunciation.
The results of r-fulness in al three stores were examined. ue to linguistic insecurity, the middle-class women at Macy's adopted the newly prestigious Midwestern r; the linguistically secure older women at Saks retained their r-lessness; the lower-classed women at Kelin's did not know that their r-lessness was not prestigious.
He also found differences in race, gender, and what floor of the store he was on.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
EVERYONE UP HERE: ENREGISTERMENT AND IDENTITY IN MICHIGAN’S KEWEENAW PENINSULA
by Remlinger
in American Speech
People in Copper Country, above the mitten in Michigan, have a distinctive dialect which is associated with a particular set of ideals. They call themselves "Yoopers."
"The aim of this article is to demonstrate that the articulation of language,
people, and place is not only an effect of discursive practices, but also a
result of historical, economic, and ideological processes. I argue not only
that Copper Country English has become recognized as a regional dialect,
but also that certain features have become normed through discursive and
metadiscursive practices that collectively function to create and maintain the
idea of a local dialect. This awareness (re)shapes perceptions about what the
local dialect is—and is not—and affects the use of particular features and
defines beliefs about those who speak it."
"As examples of talk about
talk, shibboleths are key in enregisterment and defining local identity as they
forge links among identity, dialect, and local knowledge—knowledge based
on language awareness and use."
in American Speech
People in Copper Country, above the mitten in Michigan, have a distinctive dialect which is associated with a particular set of ideals. They call themselves "Yoopers."
"The aim of this article is to demonstrate that the articulation of language,
people, and place is not only an effect of discursive practices, but also a
result of historical, economic, and ideological processes. I argue not only
that Copper Country English has become recognized as a regional dialect,
but also that certain features have become normed through discursive and
metadiscursive practices that collectively function to create and maintain the
idea of a local dialect. This awareness (re)shapes perceptions about what the
local dialect is—and is not—and affects the use of particular features and
defines beliefs about those who speak it."
"As examples of talk about
talk, shibboleths are key in enregisterment and defining local identity as they
forge links among identity, dialect, and local knowledge—knowledge based
on language awareness and use."
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Dialect Features Affecting the social mobility and economic opportunities of the disadvantaged in Fort Wayne, IN
thesis
by Charles Edward Billiard
1969
p. 107 "cultivated speakers distinguished /o/ and {backwards}/c/ in such words as cot and caught...WOrking class and lower-class Latin-Americans have difficulty attaining proper distinctions in the English vowel systems, particularly in pronouncing the phonemes, /I?, /ae/, /schwa/, u/,...."
p.205 --Southern and SOuth Midland forms were less tolerated than Northern forms (greazy rejected by prestigious groups)
by Charles Edward Billiard
1969
p. 107 "cultivated speakers distinguished /o/ and {backwards}/c/ in such words as cot and caught...WOrking class and lower-class Latin-Americans have difficulty attaining proper distinctions in the English vowel systems, particularly in pronouncing the phonemes, /I?, /ae/, /schwa/, u/,...."
p.205 --Southern and SOuth Midland forms were less tolerated than Northern forms (greazy rejected by prestigious groups)
The North American Midland as a dialect area
by Sharon Ash
in Langauge Variation and Change in the American Midland
the Midland is a coherent dialect area, although there is considerable variation within it.
p. 55 :The Midland is a dialect region, positively defined by a variety of phonological, lexical, and syntactic features."
p.56 "...it is set apart by a anumber opf defining features, even while individual cities have their own unique character."
in Langauge Variation and Change in the American Midland
the Midland is a coherent dialect area, although there is considerable variation within it.
p. 55 :The Midland is a dialect region, positively defined by a variety of phonological, lexical, and syntactic features."
p.56 "...it is set apart by a anumber opf defining features, even while individual cities have their own unique character."
What is dialect?: Revisting the Midland
by Thomas E. Murray and Beth Lee Simon
in language variation and change in the American Midland
This is a wonderful summary of the Midland controversy. The authors propose that there IS a Midland on the basis of grammatical forms (because grammar is more resitant to change).
in language variation and change in the American Midland
This is a wonderful summary of the Midland controversy. The authors propose that there IS a Midland on the basis of grammatical forms (because grammar is more resitant to change).
The Speech of terre haute: a hoosier dialect study
by marvin dale carmony
thesis
p. xv "This study indicates, among other things, that 1 the vocabulary of Terre Haute is essentialy Midland, witha strong admixture of Northern and North Midland words, as well as a considerable proportion of Southern words; (2) the pronunciation of Terre Haute clearly reflects the city's settlement and cultural history, the prestige dialect of today stemming from the prestigiouis and dominat Yankee elemt of yesterday, while "inferior" speech is that containing tyhe most substantial number fo South Midland features; (3) the degree of both social stratification and racial segregation is considerable, judging form the number fo lexical, phonological, morphological and syntactic features with social and racial connotations."
thesis
p. xv "This study indicates, among other things, that 1 the vocabulary of Terre Haute is essentialy Midland, witha strong admixture of Northern and North Midland words, as well as a considerable proportion of Southern words; (2) the pronunciation of Terre Haute clearly reflects the city's settlement and cultural history, the prestige dialect of today stemming from the prestigiouis and dominat Yankee elemt of yesterday, while "inferior" speech is that containing tyhe most substantial number fo South Midland features; (3) the degree of both social stratification and racial segregation is considerable, judging form the number fo lexical, phonological, morphological and syntactic features with social and racial connotations."
Positive anymore in the midwest
by thomas e. murray
in "heartland" english
negative anymore is standard english, but some dialects also accept positive anymore. positive anymore has "little or no sociolinguistic significance". "various forms of positive anymore having unequal acceptance throughout the Midwest: all forms are evidently not considered equal in the mids of all users;..."
"continues to spread outward"
in "heartland" english
negative anymore is standard english, but some dialects also accept positive anymore. positive anymore has "little or no sociolinguistic significance". "various forms of positive anymore having unequal acceptance throughout the Midwest: all forms are evidently not considered equal in the mids of all users;..."
"continues to spread outward"
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