The development of different regional varieties of English is an important field of research in historical linguistics. A multitude of theories explain the innumerable differences in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar that exist within the English speaking world. An important external reason for the great linguistic variation making English a ‘world language’ are the influences from foreign languages that the English language absorbed in language contact situations.
The only language contact which had been for a long time regarded as quite ‘unproductive’, except from some marginal loan words, is that of English and Celtic in the British Isles. Therefore, it was excluded from serious linguistic research up to the 20th century. Modern investigations finally unveiled that the long and close coexistence had, of course, a remarkable impact on all British varieties in the areas of syntax and phonology, too (Filppula et al. 2008: 1f.).
The aim of my paper is to reconstruct the linguistic development during the contact situation between Irish Gaelic (one variety of Celtic) and English on the basis of one selected grammatical feature, namely the after perfect construction in their generated contact variety: Irish English (also Hiberno-English, Anglo-Irish).
After giving some general information on formation and usage of the rare grammatical construction, I will prove the after perfect construction being a result of the English-Celtic contact situation in Ireland. In that respect, I will look at interesting aspects of scholarly debates concerning the language shift, resulting in the Irish English variety as it is spoken today.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Terminology
2.1. The perfect
2.2. The Hiberno-English perfects
2.3. The after perfect
2.3.1. Formation
2.3.2. Usage
3. The origins of the after perfect
3.1. Contact situation – language shift
3.1.1. Historical background
3.1.2. The transfer of the after perfect construction
3.2. Reduction of the functional range of the after perfect
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper aims to reconstruct the linguistic evolution resulting from the language contact between Irish Gaelic and English, specifically examining the 'after perfect' construction in Irish English. The study seeks to prove that this grammatical feature is a direct result of structural borrowing during the historical language shift in Ireland.
- The linguistic impact of language contact in the British Isles.
- The formation and usage of the 'after perfect' in Hiberno-English.
- Historical context of English-Irish language contact and shift.
- Mechanisms of structural transfer and grammaticalization.
- Functional reduction and semantic development of contact-induced features.
Excerpt from the Book
1.3.1.) Formation
The Irish after perfect is a grammatical construction consisting of a form of (to) be, the preposition after and the present participle (Verb + -ing) (Winford 2003: 240).
It may be used in a present perfect as well as in a past perfect context, as the copula (to) be can be used either in present or past tense form, e.g. “you’re after passin’” instead of “you have just passed”; “I was after buyin’” instead of “I had just bought” (Filppula 1999: 99).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the historical context of language contact in the British Isles and defines the scope of research regarding the 'after perfect' in Irish English.
2. Terminology: Clarifies essential linguistic definitions, specifically the 'perfect' aspect, and introduces the unique perfect forms found within Hiberno-English.
3. The origins of the after perfect: Analyzes the historical language shift in Ireland and the linguistic mechanisms that led to the transfer of the 'after perfect' construction from Irish to English.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the evidence for the substratum theory and reflects on the broader implications of language contact on the identity of Irish English.
Keywords
Irish English, Hiberno-English, after perfect, language contact, language shift, substratum, grammaticalization, structural borrowing, linguistic development, perfect aspect, Irish Gaelic, linguistic interference, syntax, historical linguistics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this research?
This work examines the linguistic development of Irish English, with a specific focus on the 'after perfect' construction as a result of contact between Irish Gaelic and English.
What are the central thematic areas?
The core themes include tense-aspect-modality in Irish English, the historical background of English in Ireland, and the mechanics of structural borrowing during language shifts.
What is the central research question?
The paper asks whether the 'after perfect' construction can be definitively attributed to Irish interference during the contact situation between the two languages.
Which methodology is applied?
The author employs a diachronic and synchronic analysis, examining historical texts and linguistic corpus data to trace the development and usage of the construction.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the terminology of the perfect aspect, the specific formation and usage of the 'after perfect', and the historical conditions—including social and local factors—that facilitated its transfer.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Irish English, language contact, 'after perfect', substratum, structural borrowing, and language shift.
Why is the 'after perfect' referred to as the 'hot news perfect'?
It is so labeled because the construction specifically emphasizes the aspect of immediate recentness regarding an event or activity.
How did the functional range of the 'after perfect' change over time?
Originally, it had a wider range including future and conditional meanings, but it underwent a functional reduction to express mainly the recent past, mirroring similar changes in the Irish language.
Is the 'after perfect' considered a stigmatized construction?
No, it is not a stigmatized construction, though it tends to occur less frequently among those at the higher end of the social scale and is primarily found in informal speech or narrative discourse.
- Quote paper
- Anja Hempel (Author), 2009, The Irish English 'after' perfect, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/168089
