West Midlands English

This book focuses on the varieties of Birmingham and the industrial heartland of the Black Country. This volume focuses on the closely allied yet differing linguistic varieties of Birmingham and its immediate neighbour to the west, the industrial heartland of the Black Country. Both of these areas rose to economic prominence and success during the Industrial Revolution, and both have suffered economically and socially as a result of post-war industrial decline. The industrial heritage of both areas has meant that tight-knit and socially homogeneous individual areas in each region have continued to exhibit linguistic features, especially morphological constructions, peculiar to these areas or now restricted to these areas. At the same time immigration and increased social mobility have meant that newly developing structures and more widespread UK linguistic phenomena have spread into these varieties. This volume provides a clear description of the structure of the linguistic varieties spoken in the two areas. It provides a comprehensive overview of the phonological, grammatical and lexical structure of both varieties. It gives a thorough discussion of the historical and social factors behind the development of the varieties and the attached stigma. It discusses the unusual situation of the Black Country - an area undefined in geographical and administrative terms, existing only in the imagination. It uses of the variety from native speakers of differing ethnicities, ages and genders. It includes an annotated bibliography for further consultation.