Dialect Levelling in Urban Communities in Great Britain.

Abstract

This thesis considers the linguistic consequences of contact between dialects. It begins by providing some information on factors that contribute to the process of dialect levelling. It then goes on to give a description of language and dialect change and provide an explanation on the process of dialect levelling, which is the reason for the standardisation of varieties of English. Several projects on TH-fronting and T-glottalisation in urban locations are then discussed and analysed. In doing so, I have tried to answer the question whether there is a relation between gender and social class and the use of TH-fronting and Tglottalisation. Keywords: regional dialect levelling, TH-fronting, T-glottalisation, social class, gender, mobility, linguistic change, Labov