Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 15:01:08 EDT

From: Michael Montgomery N270053[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]VM.SC.EDU

Subject: No subject given



I am interested in learning the geographical distribution and meaning of

the noun _brogue_ in reference to a distinctive way of speech. That is

to say, its application is/has become rather wider than to the way Irish

speak. When growing up in East Tennessee, I frequently heard reference

to an "East Tennessee brogue", meaning the distinctive way folks talked

there--there was no hint of a relationship to anything Irish or suggestion

of Irish features in the local speech.



The term is not entered in _DARE_, which would lead one to assume either

that its distribution is very widespread in U.S. or that it wasn't found

to have a meaning other than the standard one pertaining to an Irish

accent/dialect. Where in the U.S. is it attested? Do folks ever charac-

terize local or regional speech as a "brogue" in Texas? Indiana? West

Virginia? Arkansas? Is it used to refer only to accent or is it a more

generic term?



Thanks for any thoughts on this.



Michael MOntgomery, Dept of English

U of South Carolina, Columbia SC 29208