Regional Dialects Wolfram & Schilling-Estes Chapter 5

5.1 Eliciting Regional Dialect Forms Linguistic Atlas of the United States and Canada (1928) Linguistic Atlas of the United States and Canada (1928) Linguistic Atlas of the Middle and South Atlantic States Linguistic Atlas of the Middle and South Atlantic States – Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) The Atlas of North American English The Atlas of North American English based on TELSUR

5.2 Mapping Regional Variants A Word Geography of the Eastern United States (1949) Kurath: text p. 139 A Word Geography of the Eastern United States (1949) Kurath: text p. 139 Linguistic Atlas of the Middle and South Atlantic States: computerized mapping— Kretzschmar, Univ. of Georgia: text p. 140 Linguistic Atlas of the Middle and South Atlantic States: computerized mapping— Kretzschmar, Univ. of Georgia: text p. 140 Comparison of conventional and computerized map from DARE: text p. 141 Comparison of conventional and computerized map from DARE: text p. 141

5.3 The Distribution of Dialect Forms GROUP-EXCLUSIVE pattern GROUP-EXCLUSIVE pattern –Isogloss TRANSITIONAL ZONES TRANSITIONAL ZONES ISOGLOSS BUNDLES setting off regional areas (p. 142) ISOGLOSS BUNDLES setting off regional areas (p. 142) ISOLGLOSSAL LAYERING (text: pp , Figure 5.7) ISOLGLOSSAL LAYERING (text: pp , Figure 5.7)

Shift from lexicon to phonology Labov’s TELSUR work: Labov’s TELSUR work: –NORTHERN CITIES VOWEL SHIFT (a vowel rotation pattern)—chart on page 148 –SOUTHERN VOWEL SHIFT—chart on page 149 –LOW BACK MERGER (traditional Midland + West)—map on p. 147

Northern Cities Shift and Southern Shift (see pp ) /i/ (beet) /u/ (boot) / ɪ / (bit)/ ʊ / (put) /e/ (bait)/o/ (boat) / ɛ / (bet) / ^ / (but) / ɛ / (bet) / ^ / (but) / æ / (bat)/ Ɔ / (bought) / ɑ/ (father)

5.4 Dialect Diffusion (in geographical and social space) The Wave Model (text p. 154): “contiguous diffusion” (dropping a stone into a pond) The Wave Model (text p. 154): “contiguous diffusion” (dropping a stone into a pond) Considerations in spread of innovation: Considerations in spread of innovation: –(1) the phenomenon itself (linguistic dimensions) –(2) communication networks (change starts in low-density, uniplex network situations = urban) INNOVATORS, EARLY ADOPTERS –(3) distance –(4) time –(5) social structure (lower middle class initiates) The Gravity model or Hierarchical Model (text p. 155): physical distance + social density: (skipping a stone across the surface of a pond) The Gravity model or Hierarchical Model (text p. 155): physical distance + social density: (skipping a stone across the surface of a pond) –larger to smaller cities = “cascade diffusion” –Oklahoma: “counterhierarchical diffusion”: importance of social meaning (e.g., “fixin’ to” as symbolic of Southern identity)

5.5 Perceptual Dialectology Sometimes called “folk dialectology” Sometimes called “folk dialectology” –Focuses on people’s “commonsense” beliefs and subjective mental categories rather than spoken language data –May plan an important role in shaping language variation and change across regional and social space Dennis Preston’s work (map p. 160) Dennis Preston’s work (map p. 160)

5.6 Region and Place Have social meaning in grounding people’s identities in localized communities Have social meaning in grounding people’s identities in localized communities The construction of social identity The construction of social identity “The distribution of dialect features in physical space may be quite different from the role that they play in people’s construction of cultural place” “The distribution of dialect features in physical space may be quite different from the role that they play in people’s construction of cultural place”