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Regional diversity in social perceptions of (ing)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 March 2017

Erik Schleef ,
Nicholas Flynn  and
William Barras
Erik Schleef
Affiliation:
University of Salzburg
Nicholas Flynn
Affiliation:
Unaffiliated Researcher
William Barras
Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen
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Abstract

This article examines the perception of the (ing) variants, [ɪŋ] and [ɪn], in three regionally distinct localities in Britain: London in the South of England; Manchester in the North; and Edinburgh in Scotland. Data was gathered in perceptual tests in which respondents from each location rated stimuli doublets, each containing only one of the variants of (ing), on multiple social attribute scales. In London and Manchester, the perception of [ɪŋ] and [ɪn] broadly matches findings made for the United States in that speakers using [ɪŋ] are considered more articulate and hardworking, and less casual than speakers using [ɪn]. In Edinburgh, results are markedly different. We argue that these differences are due to a combination of factors that include the historical development of (ing) in a particular locale, which led to differences in production, variations in language ideology and, as a result, class-specific evaluations that appear to be regionally dependent.

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Type
Research Article
Information
Language Variation and Change , Volume 29 , Issue 1 , March 2017 , pp. 29 - 56
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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