R (non-prevocalic /r/)

Channel Island English is variably rhotic, but only to a lesser degree. Thus, non-prevocalic /r/ may be pronounced in preconsonantal (e.g. farm) or in absolute final positions (e.g. far). The typical local realization is a retroflex approximant, e.g. . The pronunciation of non-prevocalic /r/ in accents of British English is of a complex nature, involving both regional and social factors. In the traditional rural accents of England, three areas can generally be described as still preserving non-prevocalic /r/: Northumberland, Lancashire and a larger area in the south-west, ranging from Kent to Cornwall in the west and to Shropshire in the West Midlands. In recent times, the rhotic areas have definitely become smaller.

The realization of non-prevocalic /r/ in the Channel Islands can certainly be attributed to an influence from other varieties of English. But on the other hand, an influence from Channel Island French seems equally possible. Speakers of the Norman French dialects are accustomed to pronouncing [r] (normally an apical type of r, pronounced with different degrees of vibration) both in preconsonantal (e.g. [vεr], Standard French parti ‘gone’) and in absolute-final position (e.g. [parti] Standard French vert ‘green’). Moreover, it is reasonable to assume that Norman French speakers of earlier periods who learnt English only at school tended to realize non-prevocalic /r/ under the influence of English orthography; in other words, their pronunciation of non-prevocalic /r/ would be based on a spelling pronunciation.

A clear indication that the realization of non-prevocalic /r/ is indeed influenced by Norman French becomes apparent in the ending -er in Guernsey English ,which can be pronounced as [œr] (recall Table 2 above). Thus, the pronunciation of words such as better or youngster is ['betœr] and ['jΛŋstœr]. There is evidently an influence from Norman French here, the same ending [œr] also being used in Guernsey French as in  (Standard French le porteur ‘carrier’). Another argument for the English ending -er being identified with the ending [œr] of Guernsey French is the fact that the latter is also found in English loan-words used in Guernsey French. In this way, the English words shutter and mourner have become  in Guernsey French (Tomlinson 1981: 265, 325). The realisation of non-prevocalic /r/ was not very widespread among the 40 informants in Guernsey. The feature was mostly found in group MO at a rate of 9.2%. With the younger informants, it occurred only very occasionally, and solely in group MY. One can conclude, therefore, that the pronunciation of non-prevocalic /r/ is becoming increasingly rare in the Channel Islands as well.

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