CONTINUOUS DIFFUSION OF AUSTRIAN MODEL GERMAN FRONT VOWELS: A SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

In Austrian Model German ASG , the vowels in the words Beeren and Bärenare ordinarily respected to be consolidated. Some acoustic investigations on ASG additionally recommend a consolidation between the vowels as in Maitland Mitteand even between the BEEREN/BÄREN consolidation and the MIETE vowel. This paper re-examines these consolidations from a sociolinguistic perspective and shows that more established speakers will in general union the vowels more than more youthful speakers. This focuses towards a continuous scattering or 'unmerger' and we contend that this is an aftereffect of convenience toward Model German as it is articulated in Germany.