Dialect Contact and the Emergence of New Varieties of English

doi:10.1017/9781108623469.004

4 - Dialect Contact and the Emergence of New Varieties of English

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 September 2021

Edited by

Johannes Kabatek and

Danae Perez: Affiliation:
University of Zurich
Marianne Hundt: Affiliation:
University of Zurich
Johannes Kabatek: Affiliation:
University of Zurich
Daniel Schreier: Affiliation:
University of Zurich

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Summary

Varieties of English arose during the colonial period (roughly 1600-1900) at a number of different overseas locations. The specific situations of dialect contact and mixture and the sociolinguistic scenarios which obtained at these locations were instrumental in the variety profiles which resulted. Contact between dialects happened because of the different sources of emigrants to key locations such as Canada or New Zealand and from the status of these groups in the British colonies where they settled. In recent decades there have been several studies of how the varieties, which can now be observed in the modern Anglophone countries throughout the world, achieved the profiles they show. These studies throw light on the nature of language contact and the outcomes it engenders.

Keywords

Dialect contact sociolinguistic scenarios forms of English emergent varieties settler language phonological and grammatical features

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Type: Chapter
Information: English and Spanish
World Languages in Interaction
, pp. 53 - 75

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108623469.004 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2021

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