Keywords

historical /or/–/ɔr/–/ɑr/ reorganization, merger reversal across generations, apparent-time vs. lifespan change, cord–card and hoarse–horse mergers

Abstract

In sociolinguistics, when analyzing language change across time, studies in apparent time are the norm with the assumption that language does not change in adult speech (Chambers & Trudgill 1998). However, some research has provided evidence that change does occur within the individual during their lifetime (Prince 1987; Harrington, Palethorpe & Watson 2000). This study shows further evidence by analyzing the cord-card merger over 40 years of speech from a Utah native.

Two mergers combine what was historically a three-way distinction of /or/, /ɔr/, and /ɑr/ to just two, with /ɔr/ either merging upward in the hoarse-horse merger, or downward in the cord-card merger (Labov, Ash & Boberg 2005). In Salt Lake City, the latter was complete and widespread by the 1930s (Helquist 1970), around the time the speaker for this study was born. Since then, it has been replaced by the more common hoarse-horse merger (Lillie 1998; Bowie 2010).

Original Publication Citation

Joseph A. Stanley. “Separate Phonemes /Or/ Merging? The CORD-CARD Merger in Real-Time” The Second Interdisciplinary Linguistics Conference at UGA (LSUGA2). Athens, GA. October 9–11.