A PHONETIC MARKER OF THE MODERN NORTH-SOUTH LINGUISTIC DIVIDE IN ENGLAND

• Main Author: Demina, M.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Marina Sokolova Publishings 2017-12-01
• Series: Russian Linguistic Bulletin
• Subjects: North-South divide; phonemic opposition FOOT–STRUT; regional identity; mainstream type of pronunciation; formant analysis; региональное деление Англии; фонологическая оппозиция /ʊ/–/ʌ/; региональная идентичность; наддиалектный тип произношения; формантный анализ
• Online Access: http://rulb.org/wp-content/uploads/wpem/pdf_compilations/4(12)/8-11.pdf

A North-South split of England, conditioned by history, culture and economic influences, has long been reflected in the spoken language. As Received Pronunciation has lost its cultural dominance, which once formed the country’s official image, this study argues that it is giving way to multiple competing identities. In the North, a new mainstream northern language identity is developing to rival Еstuary English in the South as a widespread speech code for modern generations. These two cultural identities are filling the linguistic spaces above and below the border established by the traditional FOOT-STRUT split.