Abstract
Abstract This paper investigates the status of rhotics, /uː/, and the diphthongization of /eː/ and /oː/ in New Braunfels German, a variety of Texas German, a set of moribund dialects spoken in Texas. Boas, Hans C. (2009a. The life and death of Texas German. Durham: Duke University Press: 158) notes that “retroflex /ɻ/ appears … [mainly] in borrowed words.” He further assumes that New Braunfels German “differs from other German American dialects such as Pennsylvania German and Wisconsin German in that English sounds almost never appear in native German words” (160). The results discussed here indicate that this statement no longer holds true. Today, perceptual analysis and phonological measurements of Texas German Dialect Project data reveal that both American English retroflex approximants and diphthongs [eɪ] and [oʊ] appear frequently. Moreover, /uː/ is sometimes centralized/fronted with short/mid-long quality. Language attrition and language death, two mutually reinforcing variables, appear as the driving forces for these phenomena.
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