Contact and Language Shift

Abstract

The motivation for language shift and the circumstances under which it takes place will vary from case to case but there is sufficient common ground for generalizations to be made about language shift and for the analysis of a single instance to be of broader value to the study of language shift as a whole. This chapter deals with the rise of vernacular varieties of Irish English during the shift period of the past few centuries. It presents information to highlight key aspects of language shift. The case for contact should be considered across all linguistic levels. In particular it is beneficial to consider phonological factors when examining syntactic transfer. Despite the typological differences between Irish and English there are nonetheless a number of unexpected parallels which should not be misinterpreted as the result of contact. In present-day Ireland, Irish has no influence on English but the reverse is very much the case.

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