The sociolinguistic stratification of a connected speech process - The case of the T to R rule in the Black Country

Esther C. Asprey

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    This paper examines the connected speech process described by Wells (1982b) as the T to R rule in the West Midlands speech variety associated with the Black Country. The T to R rule is well known as a linguistic marker of local varieties of the middle and far north of England. Less well understood is its position in the phonological systems of Midlands varieties. Varieties of the Midlands of England are underresearched in comparison with varieties of the north, and what is known about the application of the T to R rule in this transitional dialect area is correspondingly nebulous. This paper focuses on the Black Country area, and examines the possible outputs in the contexts which give rise to /t/ becoming [?] in local varieties of the north. I examine the written and spoken evidence which suggests that the T to R rule does indeed operate in the Black Country variety. My analysis focuses on possible phonetic outcomes of the T to R rule across time. In my conclusion, I discuss briefly the possibility that, lying on a bundle of isoglosses separating north from south, the variety of the Black Country reflects this in that a T to [?] rule, rather than a T to R rule, is the dominant output of this connected speech process in the Black Country.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)109-140
    Number of pages32
    JournalLeeds Working Papers in Linguistics and Phonetics
    Volume13
    Publication statusPublished - 2008

    Keywords

    • connected speech process
    • Wells
    • West Midlands
    • speech variety
    • Black Country
    • T to R rule
    • linguistic marker
    • local varieties
    • England
    • phonological systems

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