The Pronunciation of English in South Africa

Bekker, Ian; Rooy, Bertus van

doi:10.1002/9781118346952.ch16

Cited by 7 publications

References 30 publications

(25 reference statements)

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Ethnic variation in the phonology of Namibian English

Schröder

Zähres

Kautzsch

2020

EWW

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Studies on the pronunciation of Namibian English (NamE) have shown strong evidence for ethnically conditioned variation within the NamE vowel system. Thus, NamE should not be seen as a monolithic entity but rather as a group of ethnically and/or socially conditioned varieties. In this paper, we undertake a first approach to Baster English, a potential ethnic variety of NamE. The Rehoboth Basters constitute a unique ethnically mixed Afrikaans-speaking group from South Africa, who settled in Namibia in the 19th century and are known for their strong sense of a separate local and ethnic identity. Triangulating the results of a quantitative questionnaire on language attitudes and acoustic analyses of vocalic features in informants’ pronunciation, we demonstrate how the Basters’ unique identity translates into linguistic practice in a multi-ethnic and multilingual environment.

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Ethnic variation in the phonology of Namibian English

Schröder

Zähres

Kautzsch

2020

EWW

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The phonetics of Namibian English

Schröder

Zähres

Kautzsch

2021

Varieties of English Around the World

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Namibian English (NamE) is frequently referred to as an offspring of (White) South African English (SAfrE), although more recently researchers have tried to describe it as a variety in its own right. In particular, Kautzsch and Schröder (2016) describe several phonetic features seemingly specific to NamE and unattested in other (South) African Englishes. This paper takes up some of their findings and provides further evidence for Namibian-specific realisations of vowels by investigating a supposedly NamE-specific nurse–work split and comparing realisations of the trap–dress merger attested in some varieties of SAfrE. The paper supports the claim that NamE should be considered a variety in its own right, further demonstrating that it should not be seen as a monolithic whole.

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Discourse-Pragmatic Borrowing in South African English

Unuabonah,

Mabena

2024

Language Matters

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The Pronunciation of English in South Africa

Cited by 7 publications

References 30 publications

Ethnic variation in the phonology of Namibian English

Ethnic variation in the phonology of Namibian English

The phonetics of Namibian English

Discourse-Pragmatic Borrowing in South African English

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