Archaism and innovation in New Zealand English

Colonial Englishes have been observed to contain both archaic and innovative linguistic features, and are thus seen to display evidence of both language preservation and change. This paper examines the use of certain phonological features of New Zealand English (NZE) and discusses their status as relics or innovations. Examination is made of the diphthong which occurs in the mouth lexical set and the front short vowels trap, dress and kit. Trends in usage are studied using real time analysis of speakers recorded in the 1940s and their present day descendants recorded in 1993/94. In this way, the development of NZE is charted by means of the analysis of different generations of the same New Zealand families.