A Comparative Grammar of British English Dialects: Agreement, Gender, Relative Clauses

Topics in English Linguistics [TiEL] #50.1

by Bernd Kortmann, Tanja Herrmann, Susanne Wagner

This volume offers qualitative as well as corpus-based quantitative studies on grammatical variation in the British Isles written from a typological perspective. All studies make use of the Freiburg English Dialect Corpus (FRED), a computerized corpus for predominantly British English dialects. Systematic comparative analyses of the following three domains of grammar form the backbone of the volume: relativization strategies in Scottish English, Northern Irish English, and in four major dialect areas in England (Herrmann), the so-called Northern Subject Rule, a special agreement phenomenon known from Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland (Pietsch), and pronominal gender, with a special focus on the typologically rather unique semantic gender system in the dialects of Southwest England (Wagner). This volume will be of interest to dialectologists, sociolinguists, typologists, historical linguists, grammarians, and anyone interested in the structure of spontaneous spoken English. Key Features It is the first book of its kind. It is rare already in its focus on the morphology and syntax of dialects. It is unique in its general orientation and data base. The volume is bound to have a major impact on English dialectology and the study of the grammar of English.

381 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005