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Manchester English

Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSNChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

Published
Publication date15/12/2015
Host publicationResearching Northern English
EditorsRaymond Hickey
PublisherJohn Benjamins
Pages293-316
Number of pages24
ISBN (electronic)9789027267672
ISBN (print)9789027249159
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Publication series

NameVarieties of English Around the World
PublisherJohn Benjamins
Volume55

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of Mancunian English, focusing on consonantal changes in progress in the dialect. It begins with a description of the most distinctive features of Manchester’s vowels and consonants. This is followed by a quantitative exploration of the linguistic and social constraints on variation in T-glottalling, TH-fronting, and H-dropping, on the basis of a sample of 86 speakers stratified by age, gender and socio-economic status. H-dropping is a case of stable sociolinguistic variation, with working-class males showing the highest rates; there is a strong effect of grammatical category, with preceding and following segments also playing a role. T-glottalling in word-final position is a change nearing completion, initially led by working class males, with the youngest generation of Mancunians in all social groups showing high and comparable rates. Intervocalic T-glottalling is less advanced and shows more social differentiation; working class males are still leading it, but other social groups are catching up in the youngest generation. Both T-glottalling and TH-fronting appear to be male-led changes in Manchester. Internal factors, such as position in the word, following segment, and voicing, are shown to play a role as well.