It can be suggested that the distinctive features of Irish English stem from, basically, three major sources: (1) Archaic (British) English input, (2) transfer and contact from Irish and Scottish and (3) independent developments (see below). Surely, colloquial usage shows clear traces of these three sources. Therefore, the question asked in this paper is whether or not this distinctive character, which is reflected in colloquial usage, can also be observed in Standard Irish English or if basically, Standard Irish English equals Standard British English. Thus, several selected features which are traditionally ascribed to Irish English will be presented. These features will then be examined with respect to their frequency, usage and distribution in Standard Irish English. “Distribution” refers to both the occurrence in certain discourse types and registers (written/spoken, formal/informal), but also the proportioning of features in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Afterwards, the results will be compared with British English standard usage. For this purpose, the Irish (divided into Northern Ireland/ ICE-NI and the Republic of Ireland/ICE-ROI) and the British component of the International Corpus of English will be used.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: The status of English in Ireland
2. Irish English features in the ICE-Ireland corpus
2.1. Preliminary remarks
2.1.1. Overview of possible sources for Irish English features
2.1.2. The notion of Standard English: Old and new
2.1.3. Analytic procedure
2.2. Archaic English input
2.2.1. Adjectives
2.3. Gaelic (Irish/Scottish) transfer and contact features
2.3.1. Adjectives: Wee
2.3.2. Nouns and pronouns
2.3.3. Verbs: To destroy
2.4. Independent developments
2.4.1. Adjectives
2.4.2. Nouns and pronouns
2.4.3. Verbs
3. Conclusion: Summary and evaluation of results
3.1. Summary: Archaic English input in ICE Ireland
3.2. Summary: Gaelic features in ICE Ireland
3.3. Summary: Independent developments in ICE Ireland
3.4. Evaluation: Standard English in Ireland
Objectives and Research Themes
This paper investigates the distinctive features of Irish English by analyzing data from the International Corpus of English (ICE-Ireland). The central research question examines whether the unique character of Irish English, as observed in colloquial usage, is reflected in Standard Irish English or if it merely mirrors Standard British English. The study focuses on categorizing lexical features based on their origins and examining their frequency, usage, and distribution.
- The influence of archaic British English input on contemporary Irish English.
- Gaelic transfer and contact features from the Irish and Scottish languages.
- Independent lexical developments unique to the Irish variety of English.
- A comparative analysis between Northern Ireland (ICE-NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ICE-ROI).
- Evaluation of whether Standard Irish English constitutes a distinct variety or equals Standard British English.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1.1. Overview of possible sources for Irish English features
As indicated above, three main sources for distinctive Irish English features can be pointed out:
First, Irish English displays features that stem from earlier forms of (British) English, which is due to the colonial history of the country. Generally, it can be assumed that both “Old English” (early settlement in the 12th century) and “New English” (later settlement in the 17th century) influence will be found in ICE Ireland.
Secondly, Irish English is also influenced by the Gaelic languages Irish and Scottish. These features can be subdivided into transfer and contact features. Transfer features, on the one hand, refer to lexical features which are directly taken from Irish or Scottish. Such transfer is considered to be rather unlikely in contact situations where one language is dominant and the other language is inferior. As far as the situation in Ireland is concerned, it can be assumed that during the first period Irish was not regarded as an inferior language, since the first settlers assimilated to the Irish population and finally also took on their language. Therefore, the possibility that Irish lexis influenced English lexis during the first period of settlement may also be taken into consideration. The situation in the second period is probably quite different from the first period as the English were of higher social rank than the Irish and thus it is quite unlikely that lexical transfer from Irish to English took place during the second period. Generally speaking, direct lexical transfer from Irish is expected to be rather small. But with Irish being dominant over English in medieval southern Ireland, there will probably be more Irish influence in ICE ROI. The present situation in southern Ireland may also play an important role: Irish is the first official language of the Republic and most Irish speakers live in the southern part of Ireland, in the western province Connaught. Scottish features, however, are expected to be more dominant in ICE NI due to the settlement patterns of the seventeenth century. Contact features, on the other hand, result from close, enduring contact of two languages and unguided, non-prescriptive learning situations.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The status of English in Ireland: This chapter introduces the historical and sociolinguistic context of English in Ireland, noting the decline of Irish and the lack of a codified Standard Irish English.
2. Irish English features in the ICE-Ireland corpus: This section provides the methodological framework and categorization of features (archaic, Gaelic, independent) examined within the ICE corpus.
3. Conclusion: Summary and evaluation of results: This chapter synthesizes the findings, confirming that Standard Irish English exhibits unique features across different regions that distinguish it from Standard British English.
Keywords
Irish English, ICE-Ireland, Standard Language, Corpus Linguistics, Archaic English, Gaelic Transfer, Lexical Analysis, Sociolinguistics, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Linguistic Variation, Hiberno-English, Contact Features, Standardisation, Morphological Manipulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research?
The work examines whether Irish English possesses a distinct standard variety or if it is merely a variation of British English by analyzing corpus data.
What are the primary thematic areas covered in the analysis?
The analysis covers three main linguistic sources: archaic British English remnants, Gaelic language transfer, and independent lexical developments unique to Ireland.
What is the primary objective of the study?
The aim is to identify and measure the distinctive character of Standard Irish English in comparison to the leading varieties of English, specifically British English.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The study utilizes corpus-based linguistics, specifically the International Corpus of English (ICE) and the concordance program AntConc 3.2.3w, to examine lexical items.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body systematically presents selected lexical features (adjectives, nouns, pronouns, verbs) and analyzes them regarding their etymological source, dictionary definitions, and actual usage in the corpus.
Which keywords best characterize this publication?
Key terms include Irish English, Standard Language, ICE-Ireland, Gaelic transfer, lexical variation, and sociolinguistic analysis.
How does the usage of the adjective "bold" differ in Ireland compared to other varieties?
In Irish English, "bold" is often used to describe children as "naughty" or "misbehaved," whereas standard usage typically focuses on the meaning of "brave" or "daring."
What does the term "yoke" signify within the context of the study?
The study identifies "yoke" as a versatile Irish English noun used to refer to a thing or device whose name is forgotten, unknown, or undesirable to specify, often functioning as a semantic extension.
What role does the preposition "out" play in the verb phrase "to give out"?
In Irish English, "to give out" often functions as a prepositional verb meaning "to complain" or "to criticize," frequently followed by prepositions like "to" or "about," which is distinct from its standard meaning of distribution.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Sabrina Köck (Autor:in), 2013, Irish English features in the ICE-Ireland corpus, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/270162
