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Programme: accepted abstracts

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Abstract ID: 943

Part of Session 171: Experimental methods in the study of social meaning (Other abstracts in this session)

Social meaning potentials of fronted s: Constructions of sexuality and ethnicity among Copenhagen youth

Authors: Pharao, Nicolai; Maegaard, Marie; Kristiansen, Tore; Møller, Janus
Submitted by: Pharao, Nicolai (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)

It is well documented that the same sociolinguistic feature can be used as a sociolinguistic resource with different social meaning potentials in different linguistic as well as social contexts. However, often meaning potentials of a specific feature are related to or derived from one another (Silverstein 2003, Eckert 2008, Podesva 2007). In this paper we will present the results of an ongoing perceptual study of social meaning potentials of alveolar versus fronted s in different Copenhagen linguistic styles.

 

The pronunciation of s in “standard Danish” is usually described as alveolar (cf. Grønnum 2005), whereas the fronted s has been regarded as a speech impediment or so-called “young girls’ lisp” (Bau & Hutters 2005). In public discourse the fronted s is also termed “gay-s”. Recent sociolinguistic studies nevertheless show that the fronted s is used by both girls and boys, and results indicate that it is not necessarily possible to relate associations of femininity or homosexuality to the use of it (Maegaard 2007, 2010, Stæhr 2010). Results from these studies suggest that fronted s is used both in clusters of features that are stereotypically associated with femininity and in clusters of features that are stereotypically associated with streetwise, heterosexual masculinity.

 

In our matched guise experiments we obtain reactions to male speakers’ use of the two types of s in two different styles: so-called “standard Copenhagen speech” and “street language”. Results show that guises containing alveolar and fronted s are evaluated very differently, and that the social meaning potentials of the variants of s furthermore are very different in the two styles. In our presentation we will look closer at these differences, and discuss possible explanations of the patterns.

References:

Bay, Anja & Birgit Hutters 2005: ‘Det eneste jeg ønsker mig til jul, er to nye tænder’ – eller noget om læsp. Dansk Audiologopædi 1, March 2005. 3-6.

Eckert, Penelope 2008: Variation and the indexical field. Journal of Sociolinguistics 12/4. 453-476.

Grønnum, Nina 2005: Fonetik og Fonologi – Almen og Dansk. Copenhagen: Akademisk Forlag.

Maegaard, Marie 2007: Udtalevariation og -forandring i københavnsk. En etnografisk undersøgelse af sprogbrug, social praksis og sociale kategorier blandt unge på en københavnsk folkeskole. Danske Talesprog 8.