What’s in an Accent? Perceptions of Young Adult Listeners in Cork and Kilkenny

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the perceptions of Irish listeners concerning geographical origin, occupation and socio-economic class, based on speech samples from County Cork; to relate this information to phonetic features of each speaker’s accent and recent changes in Irish English. Methods: Recordings of speakers from three locations in County Cork were analyzed for features of supra-regional and advanced Irish English (Hickey, 1998, 2003, 2010). These recordings were played to young adult listeners from counties Cork and Kilkenny. Listeners completed a questionnaire assessing the location, occupation and socio-economic class of each speaker. The results of the questionnaire were compared with the phonetic features of the speakers. Main results: Diphthongization of FACE and GOAT vowels, [𝜃, ð] for TH, GOOSE-fronting and emerging velarised /l/ in syllable final position tilt listener judgements towards non-regional, professional and upper middle class. Cork City listeners are most accurate in terms of locating Cork city speakers. Kilkenny listeners are least accurate in identifying speaker location. Conclusions: Irish English speech varies depending on location and gender. Perceptions of class and occupation are closely tied to gender of speaker and type of phonetic features present. Supra-regional features are increasingly used by young adults in County Cork, and recognized by young adult listeners.