Beschrijving
Urban vernaculars are most oAen observed in large mul=cultural ci=es, where they typically acquiresocial meanings such as "coolness" or "streetwise" aIributes. Research has demonstrated that these
third-order social meanings render the linguis=c features which carry them especially visible, and
facilitate their spread in the speech community (Sneller & Roberts 2018; Grondelaers & Marzo 2023).
This study inves=gates the use of the palataliza=on of /s/ in the Limburg mining regions. While /s/
palataliza=on is a feature that has its roots in the regional dialect of Limburg, and is present in both the
Flemish (Genk) and Dutch (Heerlen) mining regions, it is primarily in the Flemish mining region that it
has become strongly associated with a dis=nct meaning, namely that of urban coolness or streetwise
style. We addresses three key research ques=ons:
(1) What factors contributed to the emergence of this par=cular meaning in a mul=cultural yet
otherwise peripheral industrial (and ini=ally rural) region?
(2) What are the specific characteris=cs of the speakers who use this feature to convey a sense of
"coolness"?
(3) What changes have occurred in the associa=on of palatalized /s/ with streetwise cool since the first
studies?
These ques=ons are inves=gated through both qualita=ve and quan=ta=ve analysis of spoken
produc=on (spontaneous interac=ons and sociolinguis=c interviews) and experimental evalua=on data
(a^tudes) collected over several years. The findings suggest that the emergence of the urban style
meaning is probably the result of the widespread dissemina=on of urban genres—especially music—
between 2010 and 2015. The palatalisa=on of /s/ also appears to be evolving beyond its earlier
associa=on with youth. It seems to have become a linguis=c marker strategically employed with
broader stylis=c inten=ons by adults, who also appear to be using it for broader pragma=c purposes,
rather than merely aIemp=ng to sound "cool".
| Periode | 26 sep. 2024 |
|---|---|
| Evenementstitel | Limburg as a linguistic laboratory: The impact of territorial reorganization and coalmining on language variation and grammar |
| Evenementstype | Workshop |
| Locatie | Genk, BelgiëToon op kaart |
| Mate van erkenning | Internationaal |