Focus on the USA / edited by Edgar W. Schneider.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Schneider, Edgar W. (Edgar Werner), 1954-

Series:

Varieties of English around the world. General series ; 16.

Varieties of English around the world. General series, 0172-7362 ; v. 16

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

English language--United States.

English language.

English language--Social aspects--United States.

English language--Variation--United States.

Americanisms.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (374 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

Focus on the United States of America

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam ; Philadelphia : J. Benjamins, 1996.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This volume presents 15 original research papers by renowned specialists in their respective fields. A variety of research traditions are included, such as dialect geography and sociolinguistics, but also smaller sub-fields such as the study of slang and perceptual dialectology. Varieties studied include the South, the Eastern Seaboard, the Middle West, African American English, Cuban English, and others. A growing sense of unity in the discipline is reflected by recurring topics and methods across earlier boundaries between sub-disciplines.

Contents:

FOCUS ON THE USA; Editorial page; Title page; Copyright page; Table of contents; INTRODUCTION: RESEARCH TRENDS IN THE STUDY OF AMERICAN ENGLISH; References; PINEY WOODS SOUTHERN; References; FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN ENGLISH; 1. Introduction; 2. Probability mapping; 3. Lexical variation in colonial cities; 4. Conclusion; References; THE COMPARABILITY OF LINGUISTIC ATLAS RECORDS: THE CASE OF LANCS AND LAGS; 1. Introduction; 2. Method; 3. Lexical results; 4. Phonological results; 5. Conclusion; References; TERMS USED FOR CHILDREN'S GAMES: COMPARING DARE'S FINDINGS WITH USAGE OF TODAY'S YOUTH

1. Introduction 2. Methodology; 3. Findings; 4. Summary and reasons for change; THE DIALECTS OF THE MIDDLE WEST; 1. Introduction; 2. Northern, Midland, North Midland, South Midland; 3. Pronunciation: Sociolinguistic methods in a geographical context; 4. Foreign language influences; References; DIALECT CHANGE AND MAINTENANCE IN A POST-INSULAR ISLAND COMMUNITY; 1. Introduction; 2. An ethnographic perspective on dialect study; 3. The Ocracoke ""Brogue"" and other American English dialects; 4. The case of Ocracoke /ay/: Phonetic and phonological issues

5. Phonetic implausibility vs. social significance 6. Weren't regularization; 7. Applying the principle of linguistic gratuity in Ocracoke; References; A COMPARISON OF VARIATION PATTERNS OF VARIABLES AMONG SIXTH-GRADERS IN AN OHIO COMMUNITY; 1. Influences on dialectal change; 1.1. The survey; 1.2. The community; 2. Methods; 2.1. Interviewing; 2.2. Measurement of linguistic variables; 2.3. Independent variables; 2.4. Measurement of correlation; 3. Analyses of the linguistic variables; 3.1. /o/; 3.2. /æ/; 3.3. /ai/; 3.4. Upgliding in dog and similar words

3.5. The merger of pre-nasal /I/ and /ul/3.6. Mergers involving /ol/, /ull/, and /ul/; 3.7. Don't and home; 3.8. Roof; 3.9. Hostile; 3.10. Lightning bug; 3.11. Teeter-totter; 4. Conclusions; Acknowledgments; Appendix; References; PERCEPTIONS WITHIN A VARIABLE PARADIGM: BLACK AND WHITE RACIAL DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION BASED ON SPEECH*; 1.Introduction; 2. Theoretical foundations; 3. Procedures; 3.1. Speech selection; 3.2. The Linguistic Sensitivity Test; 3.3. Data specification; 4. Results; 4.1. Possible interpretations; 4.2. Native evaluations and second language evaluations

4.3 Native judges ' evaluations based on social background 5. Implications for research on housing discrimination; 6. Conclusion; References; SEX-BASED DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGE CHOICE IN AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD IN DETROIT; 1. Introduction; 2. The inner city area study; 3. Theoretical considerations; 4. The Vernacular Language Project (VLP); 5. Language and gender; 6. Language and gender in the 60+ age group; References; THE ENGLISH COMPETENCE OF CUBAN EXILES: THE CASE OF NOUN PLURALIZATION; 1. Introduction; 2. Informant selection and data gathering; 3. Data analysis; 4. Results and discussion

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-283-35841-7

9786613358417

90-272-7603-X

OCLC:

778617826