SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This is a study of the influence of received pronunciation on a speaker from Workington, Cumberland. His speech is described as occupying a position between received pronunciation and the more conservative Workington speech norm. In this regard he is contrasted with a second Workington man, of identical background, and their status as typical Workington speakers is established by means of a questionnaire. Attention is limited to differing phonetic realisations of the same vowel phonemes, noted impressionistically and supported by accompanying acoustic analysis. Exemplification is provided by a tape-recording of the same passage spoken by the two informants with a transcription of the passage showing linguistic innovation. The process of change is observed both within the confines of the structural patterning of the idiolect under investigation and the wider linguistic context of the community in which it is spoken. Simultaneous with the presentation of the material the discussion of different theoretical frameworks within which various statements in the field of dialect studies have been made, serves to compare their relative merits and summarize current trends of thought.