LINGUIST List 20.2288
Thu Jun 25 2009
Diss: Phonetics/Phonology: Pukli: 'Investigation sociophonétique de...'
Editor for this issue: Di Wdzenczny
<dilinguistlist.org>
1. Monika
Pukli,
Investigation sociophonétique de l'anglais en Ecosse: le cas de Ayr
Message 1: Investigation sociophonétique de l'anglais en Ecosse: le cas de Ayr
Date: 24-Jun-2009
From: Monika Pukli <puklimonikahotmail.com>
Subject: Investigation sociophonétique de l'anglais en Ecosse: le cas de Ayr
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Institution: University of Toulouse 2
Program: English Linguistics
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 2006
Author: Monika Pukli
Dissertation Title: Investigation sociophonétique de l'anglais en Ecosse: le cas de Ayr
Linguistic Field(s):
Phonetics
Phonology
Dissertation Director:
Jacques Durand
Dissertation Abstract:
This thesis has a twofold objective: first of all, the diachronic andsynchronic exploration of the controversial relationship between thestandard variety of English spoken in Scotland and Scots, and, secondly,the presentation of an empirical study of some of the characteristics ofScottish English based on our own sociophonetic survey of contemporaryspeakers from Ayr. Following our general study of Scottish Standard English(SSE), our research then focuses on a set of morpho-phonological processesusually referred to as the 'Scottish Vowel Length Rule' with the aim ofimproving on the existing descriptive and theoretical accounts of thisphenomenon.
The empirical framework of our study is provided by the PAC linguisticproject ('La Phonologie de l'Anglais Contemporain') based on a traditionalLabovian methodology incorporating different registers of language use. Ourdata relating to 12 speakers thus allows us to investigate thesociolinguistic dimensions of the variety of English spoken in Ayr and toperform phonetic analyses on the variables under study.
Our acoustic measurements reveal a quantitative variation of /i u ai/conditioned by the morphological and the segmental structure of the word.On the other hand, /e a o ɔ ɪ ɛ ʌ au ɔi/ showed no variability linked tothe morphological structure, which confirms the findings of some previousstudies. As for the lengthening effect of the post-vocalic voiced consonanton the preceding vowel, no straightforward results could be obtained.
From a theoretical standpoint, our study concentrates on the ratheruncertain status of length in the vowel system of Scottish English.Although it is often asserted that vowel length plays no role in thisvariety of English, it is our contention that vowels can indeed be dividedinto two sets: short and long. However, the grouping we propose on thebasis of our empirical results does not correspond straightforwardly to anytraditional analysis.
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