Appalachian Englishes (AEs) possess an array of linguistic features that distinguish them from other American Englishes, yet the rich history of language in the United States has created a wealth of linguistic resources through factors such as immigration and contact, providing the environment for AEs to grow and adapt in ways that are also similar to other varieties of English. AEs have a long history of representation in linguistic literature, but until now no single work has examined the interplay of language production and perception with an eye toward the role that language plays in the construction of personal and social identities.
The Social Life of Appalachian Englishes takes a sociolinguistic/sociocultural approach to exploring specific linguistic features highlighted in the Linguistic Atlas Projects and the social life of Appalachian varieties in terms of perceptions and use. Focusing on the single theme of the social life of language in Appalachia, the book aims to explore the implications of the kinds of variation found, reinforce the notion that social meaning and variation are inseparable, and illustrate how linguistic production and perception are interrelated. It uses new data to amplify this theme, presenting a novel combination of data from different sociolinguistic traditions (specifically, perceptual dialectology and traditional atlas-style dialectology). Opportunities for engagement are provided through QR codes linking to additional resources and discussion questions and exercises at the end of each chapter.
This book is designed for students and researchers interested in general linguistics, sociolinguistics, American Englishes, language variation, linguistic anthropology, and Appalachian studies.
By:
Jennifer Cramer,
Allison Burkette
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Weight: 670g
ISBN: 9781032224886
ISBN 10: 1032224886
Pages: 152
Publication Date: 29 March 2024
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Preface Acknowledgements Glossary Chapter 1: “It tickles him so good” – The Social Life of Language in Appalachia Setting in Appalachia as a construct Perceptions of Appalachia The study of language Introducing sociolinguistics Appalachia in previous sociolinguistic studies Contextualizing Appalachian Englishes Recollection Discussion Questions Exercises Chapter 2: “She’d write him a dun” – Words and Meanings Setting in Variability in language Vocabulary in Appalachia What the LAP can tell us about an ‘Appalachian vocabulary’ Appalachian vocabulary features in the LAP A cottage industry Fanning the lexical flames Out of the fire and into the pan Where you put your groceries Recollection Discussion Questions Exercises Chapter 3: “Build us a far” – Sounding Appalachian Setting in The study of speech sound The sounds of Appalachian Englishes Appalachian pronunciation features in the LAP Hwæt happened to the /h/? Intrusive consonants? One vowel or two? Recollection Discussion Questions Exercises Chapter 4: “They didn’t nobody starving” – Making Sense of Grammatical Variation Setting in The study of grammar The grammatical features of Appalachian Englishes Appalachian grammatical features in the LAP Growed up too fast We was all waiting Three mile of bean plants Recollection Discussion Questions Exercises Chapter 5: “All he's talked about up that mountain” – Discourse and Narrative Setting in Discourse, narrative, and meaning Appalachian discourses in the LAP Excerpt 1: That’s good cooking in that Excerpt 2: Some people call ‘em pokes and things Excerpt 3: Them’s quilts or coverlets Excerpt 4: Well of course a pen [pɛn] if you say it distinctly Excerpt 5: Who? What? Y’all? Recollection Discussion Questions Exercises Chapter 6: “Roots of my raisin” – Perceptions of Appalachian Englishes Setting in Perceptual dialectology Mental maps Qualitative approaches Insiders and outsiders Where are Appalachian Englishes? What are Appalachian Englishes? Recollection Discussion Questions Exercises Chapter 7: “A relatively distinct way of speaking” – Integrating Our Understandings Setting in Putting the “dialect” in perceptual dialectology Mapping production and perceptions Perception, production, and identity Appalachia(n) as ‘other’ Recollection Discussion Questions Exercises Bibliography Index
Jennifer Cramer is Professor of Linguistics and Affiliate Faculty of Appalachian Studies at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA. She is the author of Contested Southernness (2016), co-editor of Cityscapes and Perceptual Dialectology (2016), and co-author of Linguistic Planets of Belief (2020) and English with an Accent (2022). Allison Burkette is Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA, where she currently serves as Department Chair and as the Editor of the Linguistic Atlas Project. Burkette is the author of Language and Material Culture (2015) and Language and Classification (2018).
Reviews for The Social Life of Appalachian Englishes: A Sociolinguistic Introduction
The Social Life of Appalachian Englishes offers the most thorough and engaging portrait of the language and culture of one of America’s most distinctive and iconic regions. The work stems from one of the most ambitious undertakings in dialectology, the Linguistic Atlas Project, and contextualizes the ensuing linguistic analyses in the voices and stories of Appalachian residents. This volume examines not only the history that gave birth to the ways of speaking throughout the Appalachian region, it offers a compelling commentary on how those ways of speaking are viewed from within and outside the region and why this matters. Additionally, the authors persuasively explain why learning more about Appalachian English is essential for anyone interested in language and culture, and in doing so, pays the region the homage it deserves. Jeffrey Reaser, North Carolina State University, USA
