Date:  Mon, 30 Jan 1995 18:02:03 -0500

From:  "Peter L. Patrick" <PPATRICK[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]GUVAX.BITNET>

Subject: Re: Boston accent



Dan,

    Martha Laferriere had an article in Language in 1979

("Ethnicity in Phon'l Variation & Change") which contrasted Boston

Irish, Jewish and Italian speech for low vowels. She looked at

different generations and gave a nice picture of social change and why

the Irish, as I recall, kept the least prestigious accent longest.

Also, is it "American Tongues" (the video) that has a nice interview

with a young Boston Irish guy? seemed like a good example to me, but I

don't know much about Boston...

    --plp