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Article published In: English World-Wide
Vol. 38:3 (2017) ► pp.275–304

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Are New Zealanders “rhotic”?

The dynamics of rhoticity in New Zealand’s small towns

 | Massey University
Published online: 1 December 2017
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/eww.38.3.02mar
Abstract
Rhoticity is highly variable across English varieties. Traditionally, descriptions of English have distinguished between “rhotic” and “non-rhotic” varieties. However, Harris, John. 2013. “Wide-Domain r-Effects in English”. Journal of Linguistics 491: 329–365. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar recent description of three core rhotic systems (R1, R2 and R3) demonstrates that this dichotomy is overly simplistic. The literature describes New Zealand English (NZE) as “non-rhotic”, with partial rhoticity in the lower South Island. This paper reports on data collected in two semi-rural towns in the North Island where young New Zealanders employ a “mixed” distribution of rhoticity. Alongside /r/ use which is traditionally associated with “non-rhotic” varieties (Harris’s R2 and R3), speakers also exhibit /r/ use which is associated with “rhotic” varieties (Harris’s R1). The findings suggest that dynamic rhoticity in NZE, which also persists historically in Englishes world-wide, can be represented more effectively by dispensing with the notions “rhotic” and “non-rhotic”, and by treating rhoticity as a continuum of /r/ use.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Systemic variation in rhoticity
    • 1.2Intravarietal variation in rhoticity
    • 1.3Microvariation in rhoticity
  • 2.New Zealand English rhoticity
    • 2.1Background
    • 2.2Locations
    • 2.3Participants
    • 2.4Coding and analysis of /r/
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1Preconsonantal /r/
    • 3.2Prevocalic /r/
    • 3.3Current trends in NZE rhoticity
  • 4.Discussion
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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