The dialect of Weert: use, appreciation and variation with in the dialect.

Abstract

The topic of the current study was the dialect of the town of Weert. The first aspect of study was the (reported) domains of use and the beliefs about the appreciation of the dialect. The second aspect involved an empirical assessment of a described fairly systematic variation in so-called long close-mid vowels within the dialect. Use and appreciation were found to be highest within the family circle. Also, dialect speakers reportedly speak dialect less frequently with the younger generation than with their own and the older generation within the family. Regarding the distinction (varieties) in the dialect, there appears to be an age effect. Older dialect speakers seem to adhere more to the variety that is presumably spoken in their part of town than younger dialect speakers. A small effect of gender was found: male dialect speakers adhere more strongly to the dialect variety spoken in the part of town in which they live.