Chapter 11
Levelling processes and social changes in a peripheral community
Prevocalic /r/ in West Cumbria
This chapter presents a sociolinguistic study of changes due to levelling in the use of prevocalic /r/ in
Maryport, a peripheral community in the county of Cumbria in the far north-west of England. Mixed-effect models are
used to investigate linguistic and social constraints in the levelling process. The results show that levelling of
prevocalic /r/ is under way and has progressed further in Carlisle than in Maryport. Social changes such as the loss
of local employment and the breaking up of neighbourhoods as social networks are provided as reasons for the decline
of the local variant.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Sociolinguistic background of Maryport
- 3.Methodology
- 4.Results
- 5.Discussion
- 6.Conclusion
-
Notes
-
References
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