Warren Maguire examines Mid-Ulster English as a key case of new dialect formation, considering the roles of language shift and dialect contact in its phonological development. He explores the different processes which led to the development of MUE through contact between dialects of English, Scots and Irish and examines the history of a wide range of consonantal and vocalic features. In addition to determining the phonological origins of MUE, Maguire shows us why the dialect developed in the way that it did and considers what the phonology of the dialect can tell us about the nature of contact between the input language varieties. In doing so, he demonstrates the kinds of analysis and techniques that can be used to explain the development of extra-territorial varieties of English and colonial dialects in complex situations of contact, and shows that Irish English provides a useful testing-ground for models of new dialect formation.As one of the oldest 'new' extra-territorial varieties of English, one which developed in a context of language and dialect contact, MUE provides an excellent opportunity to study how new dialects develop in situations of settlement colonisation.

This volume is one of the first detailed expositions of the history of different varieties of English. It explores language variation and varieties of English from an historical perspective, covering theoretical topics such as diffusion and supraregionalization as well as concrete descriptions of the internal and external historical developments of more than a dozen varieties of English including American English, African American Vernacular English, Received Pronunciation, Estuary English, and English in Canada, Africa, India, Wales, among many others.

Irish English is both the oldest overseas variety of English and, thanks to its co-existence with Irish Gaelic, one of the longest-documented examples of a contact-influenced language variety. The dual aspects of substratal influence and dialectal conservatism, together with the spread of this variety in the Irish diaspora and its use in literature, provide the main impetus for research into Irish English. This volume brings together twelve original papers which use a variety of methods to examine these aspects of English in Ireland. Following a historical introduction which looks critically at received views of language diffusion in Ireland, three papers directly address the role of the Irish-language substrate in Irish English. Detailed studies also describe non-standard syntax in Belfast, systems of dental and alveolar phonemic contrast, contemporary sound change in Galway, Irish English prosody, dialect word lists, and the uses of Irish English, notably Ulster Scots, in contemporary literature. The North American perspective investigates the role of Irish English in Newfoundland, and examines a corpus of 18th-century documents which reflects the language brought to the United States in the early development of American English. The range of approaches and data included make this book relevant to all those interested in language contact, diffusion, change, and variation.

The book offers a comprehensive overview of forms of modern Irish within a general linguistic framework. Starting with information on the sociolinguistics of modern Irish and on the overall sound system of the language, it then proceeds with a tripartite division of the present-day language into northern, western and southern Irish. It gives specific information on the features of each dialect and considers many sub-divisions, using maps and tables to illustrate clearly what is the subject of discussion. There are several innovations in the book, such as a system of lexical sets which facilitate the description and analysis of variation and change in modern Irish. The data for the book stems from recordings of more than 200 speakers and all the statements made about the structure of Irish are based on native speakers' speech samples. These are supplied online with a software interface which allows users to quickly orient themselves among the varieties of Irish via clickable maps. A number of further issues are focused on in the book, such as the possibility of dialect reconstruction and the use of place-name evidence for determining the earlier distribution of Irish. Additional historical and background information is provided so that scholars and students without any previous knowledge of the language can readily grasp the themes and issues discussed.

For over a thousand years Ireland has been a host to a surprising variety of languages and cultures. Every area of Irish life and cultural expression has been informed by this contact with diverse language groups. This book is an innovative collection of essays that for the first time assesses the multilingual and, by extension, multicultural inheritance of Ireland over two millennia. Leading scholars in language and translation studies from all over Ireland offer a comprehensive overview and accessible insight into the origins, development and intercultural fortunes of different languages on the island of Ireland from the early medieval period onwards. Among the languages and cultures presented in the volume are Irish, English, French, German, Ulster Scots, Ancient Greek and Latin. Contributors will also be situating the multilingual history of Ireland in terms of larger debates on globalization, the future of language diversity and the nature of diasporic cultures. The publication of this book is most timely as Ireland is faced with the challenges of a multicultural and multilingual society and the volume will be an important contribution to national self-understanding and cultural debate.

This book focuses on the sociolinguistic consequences of historical contact between indigenous Irish peoples and newer English and Scottish settlers in what is now the territory of Northern Ireland (NI). The contact varieties that resulted represent the oldest L2 'Englishes' globally. Moreover, the degree of admixture from English, Irish and Scots in the contemporary dialects of NI reflects various external forces. Naturally, these varieties share certain structural features with sister Celtic Englishes and indeed with other vernacular Englishes globally. However, there are other linguistic traits that seem to be unique and therefore essentially local. Irish English, Volume 1: Northern Ireland provides insights into the evolution of language in 21st century NI and to promote an understanding of linguistic diversity in this region in the context of World Englishes by including: *An overview of cultural, demographic and geographic aspects of NI's languages/dialects *An extensive, though accessible, description of their structures *A history of language in NI, pinpointing regional/social differences as well as current changes *An annotated bibliography of relevant literature and a general bibliography to aid further research *Speech and text samples from the 19th-21st centuries.

This book presents a collection of fresh research on language contacts and dialects, and the interface between the two. The volume celebrates the work of Professor Markku Filppula, an eminent scholar in the fields of Irish English, Celtic contacts in the history of English, and language contacts and vernacular universals in nonstandard Englishes. The articles in this volume explore theories and methods employed in the study of language contacts and variation, Celtic substrata in Irish and British English, and dialect in the British Isles. The writers’ perspectives range from cognitive processing to sociolinguistics, and from theoretical and comparative discussions to new empirical, corpus-based studies.

Recent developments in contact linguistics suggest considerable overlap of branches such as historical linguistics, variationist sociolinguistics, pidgin/creole linguistics, language acquisition, etc. This book highlights the complexity of contact-induced language change throughout the history of English by bringing together cutting-edge research from these fields. Special focus is on recent debates surrounding substratal influence in earlier forms of English (particularly Celtic influence in Old English), on language shift processes (the formation of Irish and overseas varieties) but also on dialects in contact, the contact origins of Standard English, the notion of new epicentres in World English, the role of children and adults in language change as well as transfer and language learning. With contributions from leading experts, the book offers fresh and exciting perspectives for research and is at the same time an up-to-date overview of the state of the art in the respective fields.

Irish English, also termed 'Anglo-Irish' or 'Hiberno-English', as in this book, is not usually perceived as having a grammatical system of its own. Markku Filppula here challenges this misconception and offers a descriptive and contact-linguistic account of the grammar of Hiberno-English. Drawing on a wide range of authentic materials documenting Hiberno-English dialects past and present Filppula examines: * the most distinctive grammatical features of these dialects * relationships with earlier and other regional varieties of English * the continuing influence of the Irish language on Hiberno-English * similarities between Hiberno-English and other Celtic-influenced varieties of English spoken in Scotland and Wales The Grammar of Irish English is a comprehensive empirical study which will be an essential reference for scholars of Hiberno-English and of value to all those working in the field of Germanic linguistics.