Atlas of North American English ― Phonetics, Phonology and Sound Change

ANAE is based on an intensive telephone survey project (Telsur) conducted during the years 1992-1999, to establish a portrait--essentially a snapshot of a particular time--of the phonology of the US and Canada. Invaluable as a foundation for further linguistic research, the data presented here--in text, tables, and 129 maps--has been gathered with the goals of illuminating the mechanisms of linguistic change, encouraging more detailed study of regional and continental characteristics and trends, and launching similar studies into change in other languages, on other continents. Eminent sociolinguist William Labov and two colleagues, Sharon Ash and Charles Boberg, first present thorough information about the goals and methods of the study, including the questions asked in 762 telephone interviews. Following are sections detailing information about sounds under consideration (e.g. the restoration of post-vocalic /r/; the merger of /hw/ and /w/, and other nearly completed mergers; and North American mergers in progress); North American English vowels; dialects (including the fronting of back upgliding vowels, the short-a and short-o configurations); and regional patterns and regional differences. The material is presented in an oversize, horizontal- format volume (16x11.75") to accommodate the maps; an interactive CD-ROM is included, and online access is provided for free during the calendar year of initial purchase but must be paid for in subsequent years. Annotation c2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)