Aspect of Connected Speech - Secondary Articulation, Lenition and Linking
Lenition in Scouse
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Transcript of Lenition in Scouse
„„There There `̀ll be no stopping usll be no stopping us!!“‘“‘
Lenition in Liverpool English:a description of how a soundshift
in the consonants /ptk/ creates
Scouse
Presentation by Michael TL Pace-SiggeDept. Of English Language & Literature: University of Liverpool: 09/04/2003
9/2/07 2
The English Voiceless Stops• This thesis investigates variation in the use of
lenition – the change occurring when stops are notfully realised - of the voiceless stops (p t k) in theurban vernacular of Liverpool.
• “Continuant” in the expression “voiced or unvoicedfricative continuant” differentiates the continuoussounds of speech from those that require acessation of sound for their formation. Such soundsare called stop sounds; they are caused by completeinterruption of breath by a stopping of the breathflow.
9/2/07 3
Definition Lenition• Consonants are (in articulatory terms) tricky with a
lot of things having to get shifted around So whenyou speed up your speech and have a consonantbetween vowels, it tries to become more like avowel. The first thing it loses is the closure thatmany consonants have(...), becoming a fricative (pbecoming an <f> in this case - still a consonant but"easier" to say). There may be many intermediatestages, but eventually the consonant either becomesa vowel or disappears altogether.
9/2/07 4
Previous Work• The first thorough investigation into the accent, and
the standard work ever since, was Gerry KnowlesScouse: The Urban Dialect of Liverpool in 1973.
• The only other major work on the Liverpool Accent isHilary De Lyon’s sociolinguistic study from 1981 (DeLyon: 1981).
• Since the late 1990s more research by PatrickHoneybone, Catherine Sangster and Kevin Watson.Furthermore, looking at the accents of England, bothPeter Trudgill and the BBC published material on theLiverpool accent.
9/2/07 5
Ways Of Analysing– Sociolinguistic: looking at gender, age,
background (parents), occupation, areas of livingand comparing a group of people with that forma representative mix.
– Phonetic: focussing on how the speech is realisedby speakers of the dialect / accent. Researchwould look at intonation, pitch, melody and therealisation of consonants, diphthongs and vowelsand compare these with the standard accent.
• Traditionally, the research was based on the study-author’s ability to hear and distinguish individualsounds. This is, however, very subjective.
9/2/07 6
Ways of Analysing: My
Methodology
• For this study, I have interviewed informantsof both sexes, between the ages of ten and72, who all live in the same small area ofLiverpool.
• The recordings were then fed into acomputer, so that I can compare the speechof the informants using the help of electronicanalysis, looking at wave-forms andspectrograms to highlight possible contrasts.
9/2/07 7
ComparingComparing /k/ lenition /k/ lenition
• „(Sometimes you do get
frustrated with) doctors..“
• Lisa, f, 28
• “(To ehm – pause -) take
(it off)” – Diane, f, 60
9/2/07 8
Comparing Comparing /t/ lenition/t/ lenition
• „(No more of) tha‘
(pause)“ Ali, m, 18
• “(in our) street (pause)” –
Steve, m. 38
9/2/07 9
ComparingComparing /p/ lenition /p/ lenition
• “(he’s) putt’n’ more
people on benefit” –
Diane, f, 60
• “(ten) pound (in
vouchers)” – Dan, m, 10
9/2/07 10
ComparisonComparison: Scouse / SE (1): Scouse / SE (1)
• “(Yeah –pause -) but
(really they should)” –
Diane, f, 60
• “(Sometimes it is really
interesting)-pause- but
–pause –“ Annette, f, 54
9/2/07 11
ComparisonComparison: Scouse / SE (2): Scouse / SE (2)
• “(oh) happy
(birthday)”– Mr C, m,
38
• “Happy birthday”,
Chris, m, 66
9/2/07 12
ComparisonComparison: Scouse / SE (3): Scouse / SE (3)• “Liverpool” – Alf, m, 72; Dan, m 10
• “Liverpool” – Ro, f,
24
9/2/07 13
ComparisonComparison: Scouse / SE (4): Scouse / SE (4)
• „Are like (pause)“ -
Lisa, f. 28
• “(Things) like (eh you
know)” – Ro, f, 24
9/2/07 14
ComparisonComparison: Scouse / NI-: Scouse / NI-EnglEngl..
• “(pause)...Iraq
...(pause)” – Ali, m, 18
• “Iraq” – Ciara, Northern-
Irish (Belf.), f, 25