lenition in scouse

„„There There `̀ll be no stopping usll be no stopping us!!“‘“‘

Lenition in Liverpool English:a description of how a soundshift

in the consonants /ptk/ creates

Scouse

Presentation by Michael TL Pace-SiggeDept. Of English Language & Literature: University of Liverpool: 09/04/2003

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The English Voiceless Stops• This thesis investigates variation in the use of

lenition – the change occurring when stops are notfully realised - of the voiceless stops (p t k) in theurban vernacular of Liverpool.

• “Continuant” in the expression “voiced or unvoicedfricative continuant” differentiates the continuoussounds of speech from those that require acessation of sound for their formation. Such soundsare called stop sounds; they are caused by completeinterruption of breath by a stopping of the breathflow.

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Definition Lenition• Consonants are (in articulatory terms) tricky with a

lot of things having to get shifted around So whenyou speed up your speech and have a consonantbetween vowels, it tries to become more like avowel. The first thing it loses is the closure thatmany consonants have(...), becoming a fricative (pbecoming an <f> in this case - still a consonant but"easier" to say). There may be many intermediatestages, but eventually the consonant either becomesa vowel or disappears altogether.

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Previous Work• The first thorough investigation into the accent, and

the standard work ever since, was Gerry KnowlesScouse: The Urban Dialect of Liverpool in 1973.

• The only other major work on the Liverpool Accent isHilary De Lyon’s sociolinguistic study from 1981 (DeLyon: 1981).

• Since the late 1990s more research by PatrickHoneybone, Catherine Sangster and Kevin Watson.Furthermore, looking at the accents of England, bothPeter Trudgill and the BBC published material on theLiverpool accent.

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Ways Of Analysing– Sociolinguistic: looking at gender, age,

background (parents), occupation, areas of livingand comparing a group of people with that forma representative mix.

– Phonetic: focussing on how the speech is realisedby speakers of the dialect / accent. Researchwould look at intonation, pitch, melody and therealisation of consonants, diphthongs and vowelsand compare these with the standard accent.

• Traditionally, the research was based on the study-author’s ability to hear and distinguish individualsounds. This is, however, very subjective.

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Ways of Analysing: My

Methodology

• For this study, I have interviewed informantsof both sexes, between the ages of ten and72, who all live in the same small area ofLiverpool.

• The recordings were then fed into acomputer, so that I can compare the speechof the informants using the help of electronicanalysis, looking at wave-forms andspectrograms to highlight possible contrasts.

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ComparingComparing /k/ lenition /k/ lenition

• „(Sometimes you do get

frustrated with) doctors..“

• Lisa, f, 28

• “(To ehm – pause -) take

(it off)” – Diane, f, 60

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Comparing Comparing /t/ lenition/t/ lenition

• „(No more of) tha‘

(pause)“ Ali, m, 18

• “(in our) street (pause)” –

Steve, m. 38

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ComparingComparing /p/ lenition /p/ lenition

• “(he’s) putt’n’ more

people on benefit” –

Diane, f, 60

• “(ten) pound (in

vouchers)” – Dan, m, 10

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ComparisonComparison: Scouse / SE (1): Scouse / SE (1)

• “(Yeah –pause -) but

(really they should)” –

Diane, f, 60

• “(Sometimes it is really

interesting)-pause- but

–pause –“ Annette, f, 54

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• “(oh) happy

(birthday)”– Mr C, m,

38

• “Happy birthday”,

Chris, m, 66

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ComparisonComparison: Scouse / SE (3): Scouse / SE (3)• “Liverpool” – Alf, m, 72; Dan, m 10

• “Liverpool” – Ro, f,

24

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• „Are like (pause)“ -

Lisa, f. 28

• “(Things) like (eh you

know)” – Ro, f, 24

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ComparisonComparison: Scouse / NI-: Scouse / NI-EnglEngl..

• “(pause)...Iraq

...(pause)” – Ali, m, 18

• “Iraq” – Ciara, Northern-

Irish (Belf.), f, 25

lenition in scouse

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