Results
Examples of forms and tables used to make analysis can be found in the appendices
as follows:
Appendix iv) Table used to Extract Tokens
Appendix v) Tally Chart for all Possible Tokens and IPA Transcriptions
Appendix vi) Tables used for Preceding Consonant Analysis
Frequency of Yod-dropping over Total Corpus
Table a) Tokens for Whole Corpus – /j/ deletion
Possible Yodfull Tokens
(minus /t/ and /d/ post
consonantally)
Actual Yod-drop Tokens
(minus /t/ and /d/ post
consonantally)
242
92
Percentage Rate
38%
Comment: Tokens are from all post consonantal environments (apart from /t/ and
/d/) as this is a feature of Generalised Yod-dropping found in East Anglia (Wells
1982). Whilst completing this part of the analysis, it became evident that there were
no tokens of yod coalescence in the older age group. The /j/ was ether deleted (yoddrop) or remained with no palatisation process of /j/ + /t/ or /d/ to the affricates [ʧ]
and [ʤ] (yod-coalescence).
Analysis of /t/ and /d/ post consonantally
Table b) Tokens for Whole Corpus – palatisation
Possible Yodfull Tokens
Actual Yod coalesce
with Post consonantal /t/ or
Tokens
Actual Yod-drop tokens
/d/
40
11
15
Percentage Rate
27.5%
37.5%
Comment: Over the whole corpus yod coalescence occurs at a slightly lower rate
than yod dropping, however, the fact that it only occurs within the younger age
group warrants some further analysis which will be covered in the following sections
that relate to age.
Frequency of Yod-dropping by Age
The chart below illustrates the comparison between the 2 age groups in relation to
rate of yod-dropping and includes tokens where /t/ and /d/ are the preceding
consonants:
Chart 2.
Frequency of Yod-dropping by Age
60
50
40
Percentage
Rate of Yod- 30
dropping
20
10
0
Older Age Group
Younger Age Group
Age of Speaker
Comment: The older speakers delete /j/ at a significantly higher rate than the
younger speakers. This was expected and compares favourably with the findings of
previous studies however, there is a lower rate of yod-dropping for older Colchester
speakers than there was in Ipswich (Spurling 2004) and slightly lower rate than in
Mersea (Amos 2007). This is not surprising as Colchester is not only further towards
the periphery of the East Anglian dialect area than Ipswich where this salient East
Anglian dialect feature would be more evident.
Frequency of Yod coalescence by Age
As previously mentioned tokens which evidenced palatisation were only found in the
younger age group. The older speakers categorically preferring to /j/ delete if not
using /ju/. The following results therefore are from young speakers only:
Table c) Tokens for Younger Speakers – palatisation
Yodfull Tokens with Post
Actual Yod coalesce Tokens
consonantal /t/ or /d/
24
11
Percentage Rate
45.8
Comment: It should be noted that tokens include post consonantal /st/
(representing items such as student and stupid). Amos (2007) comments that in this
environment the /t/ is unable to coalesce as it would form an illegal onset *[sʧu] as
discussed by Hammond (1999) who states that “affricates do not appear in complex
onsets”. However it apperared in this study that palatisation did appear in this
context with speakers producing forms such as [ʧtju] thus stupid [stjupəd] is
realised as [ʧtjupəd] for example. It would be of interest to devote further time to
research this matter.
Breakdown of Preferred Variant by Age
The chart below provides a breakdown of preferred variant for each age group:
Chart 3.
Overall Breakdown of Preferred
Variant by Age
80
70
60
50
Percentage
40
Rtae of use
30
20
10
0
Older
Younger
Yodfull
Yodless
Variant
Coalescence
Frequency of Yod-dropping by Gender
Results are set out as below for all post consonantal environments including /t/ and
/d/:
Chart 4.
Frequncy of Yod-dropping by Gender
39
38.5
Percentage
Rate
38
37.5
37
36.5
Males
Females
Gender
Comment: There is a marginally greater frequency of /j/ deletion by the male
speakers (38.5%) over the female speakers (37.2%). This difference is too small to
really be significant.
Frequency of Yod Coalescence by Gender
These results are obtained from young speakers only and are illustrated thus:
Chart 5.
Yod Coalescence by Gender
56
54
52
50
Percentage rate 48
46
44
42
40
Males
Females
Gender
Comment: Males show a greater rate of coalescence than females. This concurs
with Spurling’s findings (2004) for younger Ipswich Speakers but for older speakers
where yod-dropping was categorical across both gender groups, no similar
comparison can be made.
Yod-dropping by Age and Gender
The results are shown below:
Chart 6
Yod-dropping by Age and Gender
60
50
40
Percentage
Rate of Yod- 30
dropping
20
Older
Younger
10
0
Males
Females
Gender
Comment: There is no signifiacnt difference between the males and females in the
older age group whereas for the younger speakers, males delete /j/ at a slightly higher
rate than females. This concurs with the patterns found by Spurling in Ipswich (2004)
and Amos (2007) in Mersea.
Frequency of Yod-dropping by Preceding Consonant
For the whole corpus the ranking scale is as follows:
Fig vii) Ranking Scale of Preceding Consonant for whole Corpus
/d/ /b/ > /n /s/ /v/ > /h/ > /f/ > /t/ > /k/ > /m/ > /p/ > /ɵ/
/j/ more frequent
less frequent
i)
Older Age Group
Fig viii) Ranking Scale of Preceding Consonant for Older Speakers
/v/ >/b/ > /d / > /m/ > /t/ > /f/ > /n/
/j/ more frequent
less frequent
No yodfull tokens with /ɵ/ as preceding consonant.
No Yod-dropping after /k/, /s/, /p/ .
ii)
Younger Age Group
Fig ix) Ranking Scale of Preceding Consonant for Younger Speakers
/s/ /d/ > /n/ > /t/ > /f/ > /m/ > /p/
/j/ more frequent
less frequent
No yodfull tokens with /k/ or /b/
No yod-dropping after /h/, /v/ or /ɵ/
Place of articulation: The chart below illustrates the breakdown of preceding
consonant by place of articulation (minus /t/ and /d/):
Chart 7
Preceding Consonant (minus /t/and
/d/) by Place of Articulation
60
50
40
Percentage rate 30
20
10
0
Dorsals
Coronals
Labials
Place of Articulation
Comment: The overall picture appears to be a random ranking of the preceding
consonants where yod-dropping is likely to occur when comparing this studies
ranking scales to those in previous studies. However, the scale for the younger age
group does equate most closely with Trudgill’s (1974) ranking scale and the older age
group to Spurling’s (2004) scale for Reading Passage style. None of the comparisons
are strikingly similar though thus no clear conclusions can be drawn. In terms of
place of articulation it is the coronal consonants (minus /t/ and /d/) that take
precedence.
Frequency of Yod coalescence by Preceding Consonant
Only tokens with the preceding consonants /t/ and /d/ were analysed for this
section.
Table d) Breakdown of Yodfull and Yod coalesced Tokens
Possible
Coalesced
% Rate
/t/
32
7
22%
/d/
8
4
50%
Comment: /d/ is the favoured post consonantal environment for palatisation to
occur. These results do not compare favourably with those of previous studies.
Yod-dropping Frequency Polysyllables versus Monosyllables
The results are set out in chart form below:
Chart 8
Rate of Yod-dropping Polysyllables
versus Monosyllables
50
40
Percentage 30
Rate of Yoddropping 20
10
0
Polysyllables
Monosyllables
Type of Token
Comment: There was a greater rate of yod-dropping in monosyllabic words than
polysyllabic words. This finding concurs with the findings of Bailey (1977) however
Amos (2007) and Spurling (2004) found the number of syllables to be insignificant.
Properties of the Syllable in Relation to Yod-dropping and Coalescence
In relation to stress, both yod-dropping and coalescence occurred only in stressed
syllables, This concurs with the findings of Amos (2007).
The rate of yod-dropping was higher in open syllables as shown in the chart below:
Chart 9
Rate of Yod-dropping by Syllable
Nature
50
40
30
Percentage
Rate
20
10
0
Open
Closed
Nature of Syllable