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Ugandan English: Its sociolinguistics, structure and uses in a globalising post-protectorate
Edited by Christiane Meierkord, Bebwa Isingoma and Saudah Namyalo
[Varieties of English Around the World G59] 2016
► pp. 121–148

Diphthongs in Ugandan English

Evidence for and against variety status and Interactions across Englishes

This chapter examines whether Luganda influence on Ugandan English can be confirmed at the level of phonology or whether Ugandan English is the result of Interactions across ethnic Englishes in the sense of Meierkord (2012). It presents the results of spectrographic analyses of the lexical sets face, goat, price, choice, and mouth, focusing on fifteen speakers who have Acholi-Lango, Luganda and Runyankore-Rukiga as their first languages. These languages differ as regards their vowel systems, particularly as regards their tolerance of diphthongs. The results will be discussed with reference to Uganda’s present-day sociolinguistic realities, to assess whether ethnic varieties of English exist and whether Ugandan English is a homogeneous variety primarily influenced by Luganda or the result of Interactions across Englishes.

Keywords: diphthongs in Ugandan English, interactions across Englishes, substrate influence of Acholi-Lango, Luganda and Runyankore-Rukika
Published online: 20 October 2016
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https://doi.org/10.1075/veaw.g59.06mei
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