Regional Variation Flashcards
What are different features in RP and GenAm?
On what linguistic levels?
Phonology
Phonotactic
Prosody
Lexicon
Grammar
What are some general differences concerning the geographical variation of RP and GenAm?
RP
- very few speak actually it (2-3%)
- has more of a prestigious status
GA
- almost 2/3 (majority) of American population speak it
- seen more as regional dialect than any prestigious variety
Both quite influential across the globe
How can variety be defined?
What is a dialect; an accent?
Variety: a term used for a specific form of a language, neutral to whether that form is a dialect, accent, register, etc and to its prestige level.
Accent: only difference in pronunciation
Dialect: dialect is a variety of a language (specifically, often a spoken variety) that is characteristic of a particular area, community or group, often with relatively minor differences in vocabulary, style, spelling and pronunciation
Name a phonological difference between RP and GenAm.
- “flat a” in RP? And broad a in GenAm?
- mergers
- Mary, merry, marry
- cot caught
- hurry, furry
-
How do you define RP? How GenAm?
RP - by naming its features
GemAm - distinction by what it’s Not (not like southern, Californian, NY, etc)
How are speech sounds created?
They’re created by modifying the volume and direction of a flow of air using various parts of the human respiratory system.
In order to describe and classify the sounds of human language the starts of these parts need to be considered.
explain the different terms:
- dialect
- accent
- variety
- register
- sociolect
- vernacular
dialect:
- different on all linguistic lvels (e.g. Yorkshire dialect, Georgie)
accent:
- different pronunciation only (e.g. Yorkshire accent, RP)
variety:
- GENERAL TERM
register:
- variation of use in field of discourse (subject matter?), mode of discourse (narration, convo,…) or style of discourse (3rd p. narration etc.?)
sociolect:
- any variation correlating with social factors
vernacular:
- least monitored variety, in informal contexts
what are the criteria for a Standard Variety?
- overregionality
- wide pragmatic range
- social acceptance
- codification
- writing conventions
briefly explain the stages of Standard English (in British English)
OE:
- no spoken standard, various dialects
- West Saxon dialect becomes literary standard
- Latin very common as the language of learning
- focal area of language change: the North (Danelaw)
ME:
- French becomes the standard lg in formal contexts, politics, learning, law, and an important lg for publications
- English gains ground again in public contexts towards the end of the period
- need for a standardized and generally accepted national language
- dialect of London -> new focal area
EME:
- spoken standard slowly develops
- stigmatization of nonstandard speech
- standardization of written English completed
PDE:
- rigid correlation between linguistic choice and class membership
- Speaking English “without an accent” very important
- RP: over-regional social accent spoken by very few, cultivated by the court, private schools and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge
- elitist attitudes towards language behaviour
- today: some local colouring acceptable
- England still highly class-conscious and obsessed by “proper English”
Development of a Standard
which stages should there be? (not chronological)
a.
selection of one variety over others
b.
social acceptance: high value for selected variety / low value for other options
c.
elaboration: selected variety adapts to a wide range of domains
d.
codification: publication of usage guides, dictionaries, grammars, manuals for teaching the variety, etc.
Comment on English as a World language
- spread of English as a second language
- spread of English as a lingua franca traffic sciences and scholarship trade technology
- cultural borrowing
English for new technical terms
English for new sports terminology
English in advertising
___
lingua franca: a language or dialect systematically used to make communication possible between groups of people who do not share a native language or dialect, sometimes for commercial reasons (so-called “trade languages” facilitated trade), but also for cultural, religious, diplomatic and administrative convenience, and as a means of exchanging information between scientists and other scholars of different nationalities.
What are the linguistic effects on English as a world language`?
- establishment of core vocabulary
- internationalization of vocabulary
- regularization/simplification
- greater tolerance of variation
- emancipation of New Englishes
- convergence versus divergence
What are differences in RP and GA and where are the differences most salient?
Phonology (most salient)
- rhotic/non-rhotic
- t-flapping in GA
- some mergers
- jod-dropping
Prosody
- GA raising tones
- RP high-falling
- different stress placement on typically french words (e.g. garage)
Grammar
- Have you got…? vs. Do you have..?
- Tag questions
Which is more conservative AE or BE?
Phonology
of AE seems to be, but then jod-dropping is innovative
Grammar
- BE gotten old form, while AE simplifies (got)
- -> learnt vs learned
Orthography:
AE innovative, simplifies (e.g. sometimes nite instead of night)
Give examples on phonological differences of AE and BR
- inventory
- /o/ /a/ distinction (e.g. in sock)
- distributional
- realization
- /ou/ - /o/
- light/dark l? (in AE sometimes only dark l)
- t-flapping?
prosody:
When English people speak, their voice can go very high and quite low. When American people speak their voice is quite flat, they do go up and down but not so much. So the effect is that British people sing a lot, and American people sound much more monotonous by comparison.
