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Navigating prestige variants across multiple dimensions

Evidence from /r/ and /w/ variation in Haitian Creole

ORCiD logo with link | Indiana University, USA
 | The University of Alabama, USA
Published online: 17 September 2026
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jpcl.26007.owe
Abstract
In this study, we examine which characteristics are routinely associated with linguistic variants, and how the sociolinguistic and societal landscape may influence the range of possible characteristics by analyzing realizations of /r/ and /w/ in Haitian Creole. In Haitian Creole, [r] and [w] are attested allophones for both phonemes (e.g. Hogan, Christopher & Jeffrey Allen. 1999. Phonemic and orthographic realizations of ‘R’ and ‘W’ in Haitian Creole. Proceedings of International Conference of Phonetic Sciences.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). Using data from 40 Haitian Creole speakers, we conduct a variationist sociolinguistic analysis testing how gender, region, and bilingual status condition pronunciations of /r/ and /w/. Overall, we (a) show how speakers navigate different and sometimes opposing norms, and (b) incorporate our findings into our understanding of linguistic prestige.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The linguistic situation in Haiti
    • 2.1Approaches to conceptualizing language use
      • 2.1.1Diglossia
      • 2.1.2Post-creole continuum
    • 2.2Regional varieties of Haitian Creole
    • 2.3Prestige and beliefs about language in Haiti
    • 2.4Variationist approach to Haitian Creole: /r/ and /w/
    • 2.5/r/ and /w/ in Haitian Creole
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Participants
    • 3.2Task design
    • 3.3Data preparation and coding
    • 3.4Statistical analysis
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Overview of variant conditioning
    • 4.2Impact of social factors on /r/ production
  • 5.Discussion
    • 5.1Implications for the Haitian Creole phonological system
    • 5.2Social evaluation and prestige
    • 5.3Competing norms in Haitian Creole
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • AI statement
  • Notes
  • References
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