The Atlantic edge

The intention of the present article is to examine the linguistic features typical of the Irish-derived community in contemporary Newfoundland and to relate these to the varieties of Irish English in the south-east of Ireland, the region from which most of the Irish settlers emigrated in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The nature of South-West English — the second area of the British Isles which provided input to Newfoundland — is also considered and contrasted with south-east Irish English. The body of the article consists of a description of key features from phonology, morphology, syntax and lexis which are suspected of occurring in both Ireland and Newfoundland. In addition, the possibility of identifying retentions and independent developments in Canada, respectively, is also considered.