Intergenerational Spanish of Boñar, Spain
Abstract in English:
Sociolinguistic studies regarding language variation and change demonstrate that language variation is highly systematic and varies according to social factors including but not limited to gender, age, and socioeconomic status. This study investigated the lexical and phonological characteristic of Leonese Spanish among speakers from two different age groups: young adult (ages 18 and 19) and late middle age (ages 51 and 62). Data included two 5-10 minute recordings of conversations among age-peer speakers from Boñar, Spain. In addition, surveys were conducted regarding lexical features characteristic of Leonese Spanish and the ways in which participants defined these features to determine variation according to speaker age. Results of the lexical analysis indicate that some lexical items used by late middle age speakers were not recognized and/or understood by young adult speakers. Results of the phonological analysis suggest that speakers of this dialect from both age groups tend to delete intervocalic /d/ in past participles. This work contributes to research in language variation and change through documenting the use of lexical and phonological features specific to Leonese Spanish among different age groups in Boñar, Spain. It provides one of the first accounts of features characteristic of this dialect.
Research Questions in English:
Research Questions in Spanish
Abstract in English:
Sociolinguistic studies regarding language variation and change demonstrate that language variation is highly systematic and varies according to social factors including but not limited to gender, age, and socioeconomic status. This study investigated the lexical and phonological characteristic of Leonese Spanish among speakers from two different age groups: young adult (ages 18 and 19) and late middle age (ages 51 and 62). Data included two 5-10 minute recordings of conversations among age-peer speakers from Boñar, Spain. In addition, surveys were conducted regarding lexical features characteristic of Leonese Spanish and the ways in which participants defined these features to determine variation according to speaker age. Results of the lexical analysis indicate that some lexical items used by late middle age speakers were not recognized and/or understood by young adult speakers. Results of the phonological analysis suggest that speakers of this dialect from both age groups tend to delete intervocalic /d/ in past participles. This work contributes to research in language variation and change through documenting the use of lexical and phonological features specific to Leonese Spanish among different age groups in Boñar, Spain. It provides one of the first accounts of features characteristic of this dialect.
Research Questions in English:
- What lexical and phonological features characteristic of Leonese Spanish do native speakers in Boñar, Spain use during conversations with peers? Do these features vary according to the age of the interlocutors?
- What lexical features characteristic of Leonese Spanish do these speakers recognize in the 21st century? How do they define these terms? Does this vary according to the age of the speaker?
Abstract in Spanish: Los estudios sociolingüísticos sobre la variación y el cambio del lenguaje demuestran que la variación del lenguaje es muy sistemática y puede variar según los factores sociales, como género, edad, nivel socioeconómico, etc. Este estudio investigó las características léxicas y características fonológicas del español leonés entre dos grupos de generaciones. Los datos incluyeron dos grabaciones de cinco a diez minutos de conversaciones entre personas de habla hispana de Boñar, España. La primera grabación involucró a dos interlocutores de edad 18 a 19 y la segunda grabación de dos interlocutores mayores de edad 51 y 62. Además, se realizaron encuestas sobre características léxicas del español leonés y las formas en que los participantes definieron estas características para determinar la variación de acuerdo con la edad del hablante. Los resultados del análisis léxico indican que los elementos léxicos utilizados por la generación anterior no fueron reconocidos y/o entendidos por la generación más joven. Los resultados del análisis fonológico sugieren que los hablantes de este dialecto de ambos grupos de edad eliminan intervocálicas /d/ en participios pasados. Este trabajo contribuye en la variación del lenguaje y el cambio documentando el uso de características dialectales específicas del español leonés entre diferentes generaciones en Boñar, España. Proporciona uno de los primeros relatos de las características léxicas y características fonológicas de este dialecto.
Research Questions in Spanish
- Qué rasgos léxicos y fonológicos del Español de León usan los hablantes nativos en Boñar, España durante conversaciones con otras personas de la misma edad?
- ¿Qué características léxicas del español leonés reconocen estos hablantes en el siglo 21? ¿Cómo definen estos términos? ¿Esto varía de acuerdo a la edad del hablante?