Abstract

A comprehensive and up-to-date sociodialectological study of North East Vernacular English

Detailed descriptions of North East Vernacular English (NEVE) based on a multi-million-word archive of real, spontaneous, naturalistic online discourse
A special focus on those linguistic forms and functions which serve to distinguish the English associated with the region from English(es) found elsewhere
A special focus on historical continuity
Considers the ways in which linguistic phenomena are represented and evaluated on Ready to Go, and what this reveals about ‘folk’ (meta)-sociolinguistic awareness
Showcases the potential of naturalistic online vernacular writing as a data source in sociodialectological research

Drawing on thousands of naturalistic online interactions from Ready to Go, a popular football message board centred on North East England, North East Vernacular English Online describes dialect at the levels of morphology, syntax, lexis and through a study of orthographic innovation phonology, charting historical continuities as well as more recent developments.Pearce also examines metalinguistic commentary and debate on the website, revealing folk-attitudes and perceptions of linguistic variation. Informed by the latest research, but also building on the foundational scholarship of the English Dialect Society and the Survey of English Dialects, this volume will appeal to academics in the fields of sociolinguistics and dialectology, as well as undergraduates, post-graduates and general readers interested in the language and culture of England's most distinctive region.