Memorial University DAI: A sociolinguistic study of Burnt Islands, Newfoundland

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Document Description

Title	A sociolinguistic study of Burnt Islands, Newfoundland
Author	Newhook, Amanda R., 1977-
Description	Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2002. Linguistics
Date	2002
Pagination	vii, 103 leaves : ill., map.
Subject	Sociolinguistics--Newfoundland and Labrador--Burnt Islands; English language--Dialects--Newfoundland and Labrador--Burnt Islands; English language--Social aspects--Newfoundland and Labrador--Burnt Islands
Degree	M.A.
Degree Grantor	Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dept. of Linguistics
Discipline	Linguistics
Language	Eng
Spatial Coverage	Canada--Newfoundland and Labrador--Burnt Islands
Notes	Bibliography: leaves 97-100.
Abstract	This study investigated how the social factors of age and gender co-varied with nine linguistic variables (eight phonological and one grammatical) in Burnt Islands, a rural Newfoundland community. Twelve participants were divided into three age groups in which both genders were represented. The interviews were tape-recorded, and consisted of both casual and formal components in order to examine the effects of speech style on the usage of the linguistic variants. In order to determine the significance of the independent variables, an ANOVA 2x2 design (Age x Gender) was employed. -- Variation was found in the speech of individuals, as well as across social groups. In casual style, gender proved to be the most significant social factor in variant selection, while age affected approximately half of the variables. Formal style results revealed that speakers in the overall sample displayed style shifting for most of the features examined. Younger females were marked by their avoidance of local variants in both casual and formal speech, while older males tended use local forms the most often. The general pattern of the decreasing usage of local features among successive generations suggests that supralocal norms are encroaching on the distinctive Burnt Islands dialect.
Type	Text
Resource Type	Electronic thesis or dissertation
Format	Image/jpeg; Application/pdf
Source	Paper copy kept in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University Libraries
Local Identifier	a1564077
Rights	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.
Collection	Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Scanning Status	Completed
PDF File	(17.10 MB) -- http://collections.mun.ca/PDFs/theses/Anstey_GlendaLH.pdf
CONTENTdm file name	272127.cpd