Thank you for downloading this file'

1
Thank you for downloading this file.

• Making this file available on the internet is a
  matter of professional courtesy.
• In return, I would ask that if you use any of
  these materials, please cite the work
  appropriately (per the next slide).
• Note that these slides are not the presentation
  per se rather, they support the talk. As such,
  you may not get the whole story simply by
  viewing the show.
• I welcome your feedback, so please feel free to
  e-mail me.
• Again, thank you for your interest in this work.
• -David Silva
• To move through show and the animations that have
  been built in, press the enter key.

2
Language, Networks, and Identity in the Azorean
Diaspora

• One Familys Sociolinguistic Profile

David J. Silva, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Professor of Linguistics The University of
Texas at Arlington ? djsilva_at_uta.edu ?
http//ling.uta.edu/david Narrating the
Portuguese Diaspora (1928-2008) International
Conference on Storytelling The University of
Lisbon ? October 23-25, 2008
3
Levels of Discourse

• Lifetime
• Life Stages
• Episodes
• Paragraphs
• Sentences
• Phrases
• Words
• Morphemes
• Sounds

• Form
• Meaning
• Function

Sign
4
(No Transcript)
5
früta
nöt
cöves
üvas
6
More Correspondences

• u m
• d o i s
• t r e s
• q u a t r o
• c i n c o
• s e i s
• s e t
• o i t o

ü m d ö s t r é s q u ó t r o c i n c o s e s s æ
t ö t o
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Standard Portuguese
S. Miguel Portuguese
7
More Correspondences

• u m
• d o i s
• t r ê s
• q u a t r o
• c i n c o
• s e i s
• s é t
• o i t o

ü m d ö s t r é s q u ó t r o c i n c o s ê s s æ
t ö t o
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Standard Portuguese
S. Miguel Portuguese
8
More Correspondences

• u
• d o i
• t r ê
• q u a
• c i
• s e i
• s é
• o i

ü m ö s é s ó t r o i n c o ê s æ t ö t o
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Standard Portuguese
S. Miguel Portuguese
9
Standard Portuguese Vowels
i u ê ô é ó a
i u ô ó ê a é
The Portuguese Vowel Shift
10
S. Miguel Portuguese Vowels
i ü u ê ö ô é ó æ (a)
11
Emigration to the USA
12
MicaelensesMinority within the Minority
13
The Central Questions

• To what extent to Micaelenses preserve their
  native dialect?
• Is there evidence of convergence toward a more
  standard type of Portuguese?
• How might varying patterns of language use be
  understood?

14
The Methods
15
The Family
16
Mother
Standard Portuguese i u ê ô ou
é ó a

• Micaelensismos
• fronted /u/ ü
• fronted /ou/ ö
• lowered /é/ æ
• backed /a/ a
• Standard-like Forms
• /ê/
• /ô/
• Surprises
• merged / ô / and /ó/
• no u sound

i u ê ô ou ó
é a
17
Eldest Son
Standard Portuguese i u ê ô ou
é ó a

• Micaelensismos
• lowered /ê/ e
• lowered /é/ æ
• Standard-like Forms
• /u/
• /ô/
• /ó/
• /a/
• /ou/
• Very Standard

i u ô ê ou ó
é a
18
Second Son
Standard Portuguese i u ê ô ou
é ó a

• Micaelensismos
• fronted /u/ ü
• fronted /ou/ ö
• lowered /é/ æ
• backed /a/ a
• Standard-like Forms
• /ê/
• /ô/
• /ó/
• Surprises
• no u sound

i u ê ô ou ó
é a
19
Youngest Son
Standard Portuguese i u ê ô ou
é ó a

• Micaelensismos
• fronted /u/ ü
• fronted /ou/ ö
• lowered /é/ æ
• backed /a/ a
• raised /ô/ u
• raised /ó/ ô
• Standard-like Forms
• /ê/
• Surprises
• Well none, really

i u ô ê ó ou
é a
20
Summary of Behaviors
Accommodated Micaelense
Stereotyped Micaelense
Standard S. Miguel Portuguese Portuguese

21
Luso Anglo Matrix
After Berry 2003
22
Mico Luso Matrix
After Berry 2003
23
Mico Luso MatrixCouples
outside partner
inside partner
After Berry 2003
24
Shifting Fields Create New Versions of Habitus
Standard Portuguese
Standard Portuguese
U.S. English
S. MiguelPortuguese
S. MiguelPortuguese
25
Conclusions

• Telling our stories reaches into the smallest
  units
• transcends the semantic content of the narrative
• even the smallest forms are emblematic
• Who we are is often about networking
• Contact with the Micaelense community preserves
  stereotyped forms
• Contact with larger Lusophone community
  encourages the adoption of standard forms (at the
  expense of Micaelense forms)
• The clearest markers of Micaelense identity are
  the fronted vowels ü and ö

26
Epilogue Why Bother?

• Labovs Principles of Applied Dialectology
• The Principle of Error Correction- inform the
  public
• The Principle of Debt Incurred- serve the public
  good
• The Principle of Linguistic Gratuity- return
  linguistic favors to the community

27
Language, Networks, and Identity in the Azorean
Diaspora

• One Familys Sociolinguistic Profile

David J. Silva The University of Texas at
Arlington ? djsilva_at_uta.edu ? http//ling.uta.edu