Influence Across Which Side of the Pond? A Comparative Analysis of the Vowel Systems of Bermudian English and PNW English

Abstract

While Bermuda was established as, and still remains, a British-governed territory, it has had increasingly close contact with the United States due to historical, economic, and political connections between the two that have strengthened over the last century. Considering the shifting economic and social affiliations of Bermuda away from the UK and towards North America, the primary goal of this paper is to establish whether, and to what degree, General North American English has influenced modern Bermudian English, and whether this influence runs along ethnic lines. This study explores this question through a comparative analysis of Bermudian English’s vowel system against Pacific Northwest English, standing in as a representative of General North American English (GNAE), and discusses the status of ethnolinguistic variation within Bermudian English, including a demographic (Latinx speakers) not included in previous research. It analyzes the most salient phonological features of Bermudian English as well as its foreign (a) nativization pattern, a phenomenon with clearly demarcated national differences. This study finds that, at a structural level, the vowel system of Bermudian English still diverges significantly from GNAE, continuing to align itself closely with British English, while easily transferrable word class switches have penetrated this variety from American English. Additionally, while White Bermudians were generally less advanced than Black Bermudians on Bermudian English-associated features, the study finds greater intra-ethnic variation than reported in previous literature.