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Article published In: Diachronica
Vol. 36:1 (2019) ► pp.37–65

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/h/ insertion as a ‘camouflage archaism’?

Dialect contact, colonial lag and the feature pool in South Atlantic English

 | University of Zurich
Published online: 5 April 2019
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https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.17030.sch
Abstract
This article documents the historical development and synchronic variation of so-called “/h/ insertion” (/h/ before vowel-initial words such as apple, under, etc.). It argues that the maintenance of /h/ insertion in post-colonial English varieties around the world provides an ideal opportunity for research on language change under dialect contact scenarios involving British donors and other dialects. After an assessment of regional distribution patterns in current World Englishes, I present some first findings from a large-scale quantitative analysis of Tristan da Cunha English, where /h/ insertion, firmly attested yet nearing obsolescence in British English, has survived into the 21st century. The quantitative analysis provides important insights into donor attribution and competition-selection processes that accompany dialect contact and koinéization, with special reference to theoretical concepts such as colonial lag, feature pool formation and founder effects. A holistic application of the concept of colonial lag to post-colonial English varieties needs to be refined and critically assessed. I argue that entire linguistic systems (in the form of koinés) are not conservative as such but that arrested language (and dialect) change operates on a feature-specific level instead.
Résumé
Cet article vise à éclaircir le développement historique et la diffusion synchronique de l’insertion de /h/ en anglais (/h/ non-étymologique dans des mots avec voyelle initiale, comme apple “pomme” ou under “sous). L’idée est la suivante: les variétés postcoloniales anglaises représentent un champ idéal pour la recherche du changement linguistique dans un contexte de contact entre dialectes. Après avoir présenté les formes d’anglais qui connaissent cette variable, je présente les résultats d’une étude quantitative au sujet de la variation et du changement sociolinguistique sur l’île de Tristan da Cunha, située dans l’Atlantique du Sud, où la variable (quasiment disparue dans les variétés parlées en Angleterre) a été maintenue jusqu’à présent. L’étude quantitative nous permet de présenter quelques conclusions concernant l’identification des variétés dialectales arrivées à Tristan da Cunha, parlées par des membres fondateurs de la communauté. Ensuite, elle nous permet de mieux comprendre les processus de sélection compétitive de structures langagières individuelles qui accompagnent le contact dialectal et la koïnéisation vis-à-vis des concepts théoriques comme « colonial lag » (arriération coloniale), « feature pool » (ensemble des traits langagiers présents à l’origine) et effets fondateurs. On critique ensuite une application holistique du concept de « colonial lag » aux variétés postcoloniales anglaises, et ce sur la base des résultats présentés ici: plutôt que des systèmes linguistiques entiers (comme par exemple les koïnés), ce sont diverses structures individuelles qui deviennent (sur les plans historique et sociolinguistique) archaïques dans les contextes coloniaux.
Zusammenfassung
Dieser Artikel dokumentiert die historische Entwicklung und synchrone Ausbreitung der sogenannten „/h/ insertion“ im Englischen (die Einfügung eines /h/ bei vokalisch anlautenden Wörtern wie apple, under, etc.). Der Beitrag zeigt, dass die Beibehaltung dieses Phänomens in postkolonialen englischen Varietäten eine ideale Gelegenheit zur Erforschung von Sprachwandel unter Dialektkontaktszenarien bietet, was das Britische Englisch und andere Varietäten als Gebersprachen beinhaltet. Nach der Erfassung der regionalen Distribution der Variable in den rezenten, weltweiten Varietäten des Englischen werden erste Resultate einer groß angelegten, quantitativen Studie zum Englischen auf Tristan da Cunha vorgestellt, einer Insel im Südatlantik, in der „/h/ insertion“ bis heute erhalten geblieben ist (im Gegensatz zum Britischen Englischen, wo es praktisch ausgestorben ist). Die quantitative Studie liefert wichtige Einblicke zur Zuweisung von Gebersprachen und konkurrierenden Selektionsprozessen, die den Dialektkontakt und die Koineisierung begleiten. Im Speziellen wird Bezug genommen auf die theoretischen Konzepte „colonial lag“, „feature pool formation“ und „founder effects.“ Eine ganzheitliche Anwendung des Konzepts „colonial lag“ auf postkoloniale englische Varietäten muss kritisch hinterfragt werden. Vielmehr zeige ich, dass vollständige Sprachsysteme (in der Form von Koinés) nicht an sich konservativ sind, sondern dass Archaisierung auf der Ebene von Einzelmerkmalen stattfindet.
Article outline
  • 1.Arrested dialect development and colonial lag
  • 2./h/ insertion in English: The British Isles
  • 3.Reconstructing /h/ insertion: Beyond Britain
  • 4.Variation in /h/ insertion: Present-day evidence from Tristan da Cunha
    • 4.1Social and sociolinguistic history of Tristan da Cunha
    • 4.2Studying /h/ insertion in Tristan da Cunha English: Methodology
    • 4.3Findings
  • 5.Discussion and conclusion(s)
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
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