Social Meanings across Listener Groups

Abstract

This study compares the group-specific evaluations of (t) in Greater Manchester, England, with those of (ing) published in a previous study. The comparison is based on a set of perception surveys, in which study participants listened to manipulated audio stimuli and rated them on a series of scales. In contrast to findings for (ing), the social characteristics of listeners are not pertinent to the evaluation of (t): most social meanings associated with (t) are shared across the Greater Manchester population. It is argued that this is due to the pronounced attitude strength of T-glottalling in this particular region.