A sociolinguistic survey of the Burin Region of Newfoundland

Lanari, Catherine E. Penney (1994) A sociolinguistic survey of the Burin Region of Newfoundland. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (21MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

This study investigated the formal and informal speech of the Burin region, employing a traditional Labovian methodology utilizing a 2 x 2 x 2 ANOVA design (age x sex x socioeconomic class). Twenty-four residents of the Burin region (divided into eight cells) were interviewed. The interviews were recorded, and ten phonological variables were selected for quantificational analysis. The objective was to determine whether significant linguistic differences existed among the various social groups represented in the study. -- Extensive variation was indicated in the speech of local residents. Variation was found across groups, as well as in individual speech. The most significant social factors determining dialect choice in Informal Style were social class, gender and then age. The majority of the linguistic features surveyed displayed minimal to moderate stratification across styles. Phonological conditioning did not appear to significantly affect pronunciation of variants of variables (E), (AY), (AW), (THETA) and (ETH). -- Minimal stylistic stratification was displayed by features infrequently used by Burin region speakers, while those occurring more frequently displayed either moderate or considerable stratification. Some variants, while displaying the predicted stratificational patterns overall, exhibited internal anomalies. Males and the working class (particularly young working class females) were marked by their use of specific non-standard features.

Actions (login required)

View Item