230146 Lesser Known Varieties of English (S) (SoSe 2025)

English is not only one of the most widely used languages in world, it is most likely also the best researched language in the world. Furthermore, its transplantation to many regions around the globe has given rise to numerous varieties of this language. Of these, some have been researched rather thoroughly (e.g. African American Vernacular English, Standard British English), whereas others remain largely neglected (e.g. Maltese English, Irish Traveller English, St. Helenian English, White Kenyan English). In this class, we will concern ourselves with these disregarded or 'lesser known varieties' of English (LKVEs), addressing a number of issues such as dialect obsolescence and death, language birth, contact-induced language change, as well as evolutionary paths of variety development, because "LKVEs are as much part of the big picture as major (or standard) varieties are, and their study contributes considerably to language diffusion and spread" (Schreier et. al. 2010: 3).

Literaturangaben

Schreier, Daniel, Peter Trudgill, Edgar W. Schneider, and Jeffrey P. Williams (2010a). "Introduction." In: The Lesser Known Varieties of English. An Introduction. Cambridge: CUP, 1-14.