ONGOING DISPERSION OF AUSTRIAN STANDARD GERMAN FRONT VOWELS: A SOCIOLINGUISTIC STUDY

Аннотация

This sociolinguistic study examines the ongoing dispersion of Austrian Standard German front vowels. The aim of the study is to explore the variation and patterns in the pronunciation of front vowels in Austrian Standard German across different sociolinguistic factors, including age, gender, education, and regional background. The data for the study were collected through interviews and recordings of native Austrian German speakers from various regions of Austria. The analysis focuses on the acoustic properties of the front vowels and their distribution in different linguistic contexts. The findings reveal significant variation in the realization of front vowels, indicating an ongoing sound change in Austrian Standard German. This study contributes to our understanding of the sociolinguistic dynamics of vowel variation in Austrian Standard German and sheds light on the factors influencing the ongoing dispersion of front vowels in the language. KEYWORDS Austrian Standard German, front vowels, sociolinguistics, sound change, vowel variation, acoustic properties, linguistic context, sociolinguistic factors.