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Article published In:
English World-Wide
Vol. 42:2 (2021) ► pp.121–144

Rhotics in Standard Scottish English

| University of Münster | University of Campinas
| University of Hamburg
| University of Münster
| University of Münster
| University of Münster

The present study investigates rhotics in Standard Scottish English (SSE). Drawing on an auditory analysis of formal speeches given in the Scottish parliament by 49 speakers (members of parliament and the general public), it examines whether an underlying rhotic standard exists for SSE speakers from all over Scotland, whether and where rhotics are realized as trills/taps or approximants, and what factors influence variation in the realization and distribution of rhotics. The results show that SSE is variably rhotic, with 54% of all non-linking coda /r/ realized, and that trills/taps are more frequent in intervocalic (onset and linking coda) position. The findings contradict the idea of SSE being generally rhotic but rather confirm previous reports of increasing occurrence of non-rhoticity, not just by specific speaker groups, but also in a formal context. They further show that variation in rhotics in SSE foremost tends to be affected by language-internal than language-external factors.

Keywords: Standard Scottish English, rhotics, rhoticity, sociophonetics, sound change
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction – The linguistic situation in Scotland
  • 2.Rhotics in Scottish English
  • 3.Method
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Overall distribution of rhotics in Standard Scottish English
    • 4.2Onset /r/
    • 4.3Non-linking coda /r/
      • 4.3.1Rhoticity vs. non-rhoticity
      • 4.3.2Realizational differences in rhoticity
    • 4.4Linking coda /r/
      • 4.4.1Rhotic productions vs. non-rhotic productions
      • 4.4.2Realizational differences in in rhotic productions
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 18 May 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/eww.00070.mee
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