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17 - World Englishes and Their Dialect Roots

from Part III - Linguistics and World Englishes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2019

By
Daniel Schreier
Edited by
Daniel Schreier ,
Marianne Hundt  and
Edgar W. Schneider
Daniel Schreier
Affiliation:
Universität Zürich
Marianne Hundt
Affiliation:
Universität Zürich
Edgar W. Schneider
Affiliation:
Universität Regensburg, Germany
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Summary

This chapter investigates the persistence and development of so-called dialect roots, that is, features of local forms of British English that are transplanted to overseas territories. It discusses dialect input and the survival of features, independent developments within overseas communities, including realignments of features in the dialect inputs, as well as contact phenomena when English speakers interact with those of other dialects and languages. The diagnostic value of these roots is exemplified with selected cases from around the world (Newfoundland English, Liberian English, Caribbean Englishes), which are assessed with reference to the archaic/dynamic character of individual features in new-dialect formation and language-contact scenarios.

Keywords

dialect rootsnonstandard Englishdialect contactlanguage contactmixinglevelingdialect typologycompletive “done,” “irrealis” “be done”camouflage forms
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of World Englishes , pp. 384 - 407
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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