Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of American Black English

Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of American Black English pdf epub mobi txt 电子书 下载 2026

出版者:Louisiana State University Press
作者:Ila Wales Brasch
出品人:
页数:0
译者:
出版时间:1974-12
价格:0
装帧:Hardcover
isbn号码:9780807100691
丛书系列:
图书标签:
  • African American English
  • Black English
  • Linguistics
  • Sociolinguistics
  • American Dialects
  • Bibliography
  • Language Variation
  • African American Studies
  • Language and Culture
  • Reference Work
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具体描述

A Deep Dive into the Linguistic Tapestry of American English: A Scholar's Overview This volume offers an extensive and meticulously curated exploration of the diverse linguistic landscape that constitutes American English. Rather than focusing on a single dialectal phenomenon, this work adopts a panoramic view, tracing the evolution, variation, and dynamic interplay of the numerous linguistic features that define spoken and written communication across the United States. The book is structured thematically, moving from the bedrock of phonological systems to the intricacies of syntactic patterning and semantic shifts that characterize regional and social variation. It serves as a comprehensive reference, drawing upon decades of fieldwork, historical records, and modern corpus linguistics to paint a nuanced portrait of how language functions within the complex social geography of the nation. Part I: Foundations and Diachronic Shifts The initial sections establish a historical context, moving beyond simplistic notions of linguistic uniformity. We begin with a detailed examination of the earliest documented forms of English imported to the American colonies, analyzing the influence of various British dialects—particularly those from the southeastern counties—on the emerging American vernacular. This section meticulously documents the sound changes that separated American English (AE) from its British counterparts by the early 19th century. Key attention is paid to the Great Vowel Shift’s lingering effects and the independent developments in rhoticity, offering phonetic reconstructions where primary source evidence permits. Further chapters delve into the lexicon’s expansion, detailing the processes of lexical borrowing from indigenous languages (such as Algonquian and Iroquoian families), Spanish, and subsequent waves of European immigration. This is not merely a catalog of loanwords; rather, it employs sociolinguistic mapping to illustrate how the geographical diffusion of these terms reflects patterns of settlement and cultural contact. For instance, the differing influences of French in Louisiana versus the upper Midwest are systematically contrasted. Part II: The Architecture of Variation: Regional Dialectology A significant portion of the text is dedicated to the rigorous examination of American regional dialects. The methodology employed here emphasizes detailed acoustic analysis overlaid with socio-demographic data. We move systematically through the major dialect divisions—the North, the Midland, and the South—and subsequently explore the transitional zones, paying particular attention to the complex layering of linguistic features found in the Appalachian region and the Mid-Atlantic corridor. Northern Dialects: This analysis unpacks the defining features of Inland Northern English, focusing heavily on the phenomenon of the Northern Cities Vowel Shift (NCVS). The book provides substantial evidence tracing the ongoing fronting and lowering of /æ/, /ɑ/, and /ɔ/ in major urban centers like Chicago, Detroit, and Buffalo. Crucially, it avoids treating the NCVS as an isolated event, instead contextualizing it within broader urban linguistic innovation cycles. Midland Influences: The chapters on the Midland dialect—often described as the linguistic center point—scrutinize its role as a nexus of convergence. Particular focus is given to the distribution of the pin-pen merger, mapping its gradual encroachment westward and northward, and analyzing the relative stability of its centralized vowel system compared to the more volatile shifts occurring elsewhere. Southern Englishes: The treatment of Southern American English is multifaceted, recognizing its internal heterogeneity. It meticulously differentiates between older, more conservative features, such as the prevalence of diphthongization in certain monophthongs, and the modern, more rapid changes affecting younger speakers. The analysis of Southern drawl is grounded in precise spectral data, moving beyond subjective description to offer measurable articulatory differences, including vowel space expansion and the realization of postvocalic /r/. Part III: Sociolinguistics of Urban and Social Stratification Moving beyond purely geographical markers, the text transitions into a detailed analysis of language as a marker of social identity and stratification within American society. This section leans heavily on ethnographic fieldwork and quantitative sociolinguistic studies conducted over the past half-century. Socioeconomic Indexing and Language: The book explores how linguistic variables—ranging from the realization of the /t/ or /d/ in final clusters to the usage of specific grammatical constructions (e.g., like as a discourse marker)—correlate reliably with measures of socioeconomic status, educational attainment, and occupational prestige. It examines the mechanisms of linguistic prestige, detailing which forms function as covert prestige (associated with in-group solidarity) versus overt prestige (associated with formal power structures). Language and Ethnicity Beyond the African American Experience: While acknowledging the profound impact of historical linguistic dynamics, this section broadens the scope considerably. It includes dedicated chapters on the vitality and subsequent attrition of languages spoken by immigrant communities, such as Spanish (focusing on Mexican American and Puerto Rican varieties), Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese spoken in urban Chinatowns), and Polish in industrial centers. The linguistic mechanisms of code-switching and code-mixing are analyzed not as deficits, but as sophisticated rhetorical strategies employed by bilingual speakers navigating multiple linguistic realities. Gender and Communication Style: An in-depth chapter investigates persistent, though often subtle, differences in conversational style linked to gender across various American communities. This includes analyses of conversational floor management, pragmatic markers, and the varying degrees of lexical hedging employed by speakers in professional versus casual settings. Part IV: Grammatical Structures and Semantic Drift The final major section addresses morphology and syntax, areas often less visible but fundamentally constitutive of dialectal difference. Morphological Variation: This covers deviations from standard prescriptive grammar, such as the persistent use of double modals (e.g., might could), the varying realization of past tense and past participle forms (e.g., gotten vs. got), and the productivity of certain derivational suffixes in specific communities. Syntactic Patterns: A critical comparative analysis is presented on syntactic constructions that reveal deep structural differences between regional varieties. This includes the pervasive use of sentence-final prepositions in some Southern and Appalachian speech, the variation in negative concord, and the distribution of prepositional phrasing related to spatial location (e.g., on the weekend versus at the weekend). Semantic Change in Modern Context: The conclusion addresses contemporary language change, focusing particularly on the impact of digital communication and global English on American vocabulary and semantics. It charts the rapid adoption and semantic narrowing or broadening of neologisms, providing a forward-looking perspective on the forces currently shaping the linguistic future of the United States. In summary, this volume offers an essential, granular resource for linguists, dialectologists, and cultural historians. It synthesizes empirical data from disparate fields to construct a comprehensive, evidence-based argument for the inherent complexity and continuous dynamism of American English in all its recorded manifestations.

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