The phonology of Pennsylvania German English as evidence of language maintenance and shift

"This study of the speech sounds of Pennsylvania German English looks at the data collected through interviews with fifty informants living in central Pennsylvania and belonging to six multigenerational families."--BOOK JACKET.

"The phonological differences found in the informants' varieties of English are reflected in the differences in the areas of language use and language attitude. In the final chapter, findings gained from the study of the latter two areas are used to suggest an explanation of the "Pennsylvania German paradox." An attempt is made to integrate the phonological findings into a larger theory of language change and to make predictions about future linguistic developments."--BOOK JACKET.