Phonological innovation in Welsh English: Glottal replacement of /t/ as a case study

Abstract

This study is a sociolinguistic account of one of the increasingly expanding sound changes in British English. Particularly, it assesses the behaviour of the phenomenon of glottal replacement of /t/ in the English variety spoken in the Welsh capital. The analysis of this study captures the fashion in which this innovative feature is making its way into the speech of Cardiff English. Not only that but also it gives us a snapshot of how glottalisation is advancing through both linguistic and extra-linguistic channels. Namely, this study seeks to account for socially and structurally influenced patterns of this sound change currently in operation in English varieties in the United Kingdom. It also seeks to delineate the correlation between linguistic and social factors hypothesized to be influencing the occurrence of this phenomenon.This study reports findings of an initial analysis of the phenomenon (i.e. the replacing of /t/ with a glottal stop) in the speech variety of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Results reveal a gender-based pattern in which the phenomenon appears to be favoured by females more than males. Structurally, results reveal a pattern in which the glottalised forms appear to be occurring more likely in pre-consonantal positions. Alongside the glottalised forms, this study also reports another variant in that the /t/ is completely elided. The study attempts to contextualize the results of this phenomenon in view of the accounts tracking the development of the feature in British varieties.