23rd Annual Student Research Conference
The Dialect of Tangier Island, VA
Sara M. Walker
Dr. Mary Shapiro, Faculty Mentor
For many years, both linguists and the general public have viewed Tangier Island as a pleasantly old-fashioned location with a language that is just as quaint. Isolated from mainland New England by Chesapeake Bay, the once thriving colony now has a population of only a little over five hundred people. The natives of Tangier realize that their speech is different and often try to alter it in the presence of non-islanders. Despite that, the dialect has withstood the many tests of time. In its present state, all of the dialect's linguistic features help to make it unique among the many other dialects of American English. Through analysis of past research and examination of real life examples of Tangier speech, this paper strives to explore the depth of life and language on Tangier Island and demonstrate the effects that isolation and integration have had on the speech of the island community.
Keywords: Tangier Island, dialects, linguistics
Topic(s):Linguistics
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 36-3
Location: VH 1236
Time: 1:45