NEWFOUNDLAND REGIONAL VARIATION OF THE CANADIAN NATIONAL ENGLISH VARIANT

• Main Author: Sokolovskaya V.V.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Российский университет дружбы народов (РУДН)
• Subjects: Newfoundland dialect; regional variation; regional dialects; distinctive language features; Canada; Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://repository.rudn.ru/records/article/record/70209/

The article deals with the issue of the Newfoundland dialect as a regional variation of the Canadian national English variant CE (Canadian English). In the era of globalization the aspect of preserving the national culture uniqueness remains very actual. The culture is reflected in the language. Language identity is maintained in existing dialects. The territory of Newfoundland was heterogeneously populated by Europeans. One can trace the influence of English, Scottish, Irish as well as local population languages on its formation. In Russia there are few scientific works devoted to the study of the dialects of the Canadian national English variant. The process of forming a new dialect is of great interest. We can trace and analyze how new distinctive language features appear. A new dialect arises gradually. If we consider the formation of a new dialect in the territory where new settlers appear, where people migrate, the following features should be noted: language mixing in a new community, levelling and the emergence of an identical form of communication and simplification. The process of linguistic simplification is observed: a reduction in the number of exceptions, non-standard phenomena in morphology and an increase in unchanged word forms, categories such as gender, case can disappear, and the number of phonemes are reduced. In general, the new dialect is characterized by simplification to its original dialects. Language mixing, levelling, simplification are essential phases of a new dialect emerging. Newfoundland regional dialect is unique. This fact can be explained by historical, economic and geographical backgrounds. European settlements appeared in Newfoundland earlier than in most parts of the North American continent; immigrants from southwestern England and southeastern Ireland lived in those settlements. The economics of the region was largely based on fishing, logging. The population also dealt with hunting seals. The Newfoundland dialect has its own characteristics at the phonetic, grammatical, lexical, morphological, syntax levels. The Newfoundland dialect presents many grammatical and lexical features that significantly distinguish it from others. Regarding phonetic features more adults and males often use the sounds d and t instead of the interdental sounds ð and θ in their speech. There are many differences and features at the grammatical level. Present Continuous is used with a preposition after instead of Present Perfect, preposition at meaning doing. A large number of words and their lexical meanings, which either disappeared or became archaic in other regions of Canada, remained in the Newfoundland dialect.