► We combine formal and sociolinguistic approaches to the analysis of variation. ► We propose an explanation for the actuation of a morphosyntactic change. ► The English relative marker ‘who’ has ...developed a topic-marking function. ► Linguistic diversity promotes morphosyntactic innovation in multiethnic friendship groups. ► Grammatical underspecification and homophony can underlie language change.
This paper presents an empirical analysis of the beginning of a linguistic change in the relativiser system in one variety of English and attempts an answer to the hitherto unsolved actuation problem: why does a change begin in a language at a particular time and place but not in the same language at other times or in other places? We show that although relative who occurs with the same frequency and the same grammatical constraints in two related varieties of London English, a topic marking feature for who has developed in only one of these varieties. We offer an explanation that combines sociolinguistic and formal approaches to the analysis of variation, arguing that this combination allows a better understanding of the mechanism for the actuation of a grammatical change.
This article analyses the use of particular pragmatic markers in two corpora of spoken London English: the Linguistic Innovators Corpus (LIC) and the Corpus of London Teenage Language (COLT). We ...found variation according to sex, ethnicity and geographical location, with a different distribution for each pragmatic marker. The innovative pragmatic marker you get me was most frequent among male non-Anglo Hackney residents, indicating innovation in inner London. We argue that a number of pragmatic markers, most notably you get me, should be regarded as elements of Multicultural London English, along with other features that have already been documented.
► We investigate speech rhythm in London English. ► We calculated nPVI based on free speech. ► Inner London speakers were more syllable-timed than outer London speakers. ► Non-Anglo speakers were ...more syllable-timed than Anglo speakers. ► Differences in speech rhythm are linked to the duration of specific vowels.
Recent work on London English has found innovation in inner city areas, most likely as the outcome of dialect contact. These innovations are shared by speakers of different ethnic backgrounds, and have been identified as features of Multicultural London English (MLE). This study examines whether syllable-timing is a feature of MLE, as work on rhythm shows that dialect and language contact may lead to varieties of English becoming more syllable-timed. Narratives as told by teenagers of different ethnic backgrounds and elderly speakers were segmented by forced phonemic alignment and measurements of vocalic normalized Pairwise Variability Index (nPVI), as an indicator of rhythmic patterns, were calculated. The results revealed that young speakers of non-Anglo background were significantly more syllable-timed than young Anglo speakers and the inner-London speakers were more syllable timed than the outer London speakers. Additionally, there was a correlation between articulation rate and nPVI for the non-Anglo speakers: speakers with a high vocalic articulation rate were more syllable-timed. Changes in the duration of particular diphthongs and schwa may have influenced the overall speech rhythm. The relatively low nPVI for all speaker groups may also indicate London's status as a center of linguistic innovation due to long-standing migration.
By the late 20th century, a multiethnolect generally known as Multicultural London English (MLE) emerged in this city, reflecting many different countries, races and cultures. This paper is ...corpus-based and is concerned with the system of intensifiers in MLE, examining data primarily from the London English Corpus (LEC). In the analysis we draw contrasts between teen and adult language; other variables, such as speakers’ gender and ethnicity are also considered. Our findings broadly confirm partially previous studies, showing that so and really are the most common intensifiers among London teenagers, in contrast to very, which is the most frequent in adults. Secondly, we identify in teen talk two new intensifiers which have not been described as such in the literature: bare (it's bare addictive) and proper (they were proper strict in school); these have not been recorded in the language of adults. The paper concludes by discussing the possible reasons for the emergence of these two new intensifiers.
This article reports on work carried out as part of the project Analysis of Spoken London English Using Corpus Tools, namely, an analysis of the use of indefinite article forms in spoken London ...English in a corpus of transcribed interviews, combining methodologies from sociolinguistics and corpus linguistics.The authors find a relatively high frequency of a before words beginning with a vowel, where Standard English will have an. Social factors, in particular speakers’ age, ethnicity, and place of residence, are more important than linguistic factors affecting the use of a before vowels. The authors argue that the indefinite article a before vowels forms part of Multicultural London English, along with other phonological and grammatical features that have previously been documented. The indefinite article a before vowels seems to have undergone a process of reallocation in which its status has been realigned, possibly because of an increase in social acceptance of nonstandard forms.
London, like many other large cities in Europe, is now home to immigrants from many different countries. In some areas of the city immigrant families now outnumber the White British families that ...have been living in the area for many generations. As a result the English spoken in these areas has changed rapidly, with many innovations that we argue are due to the indirect effect of multiple language contact. We discuss some of innovations in terms of why and how they have emerged, and consider the available evidence that can indicate whether the innovations are likely to survive. Adapted from the source document
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