Leslie Collins: Primary Research
Figure 1 "Grant County"
Through interviewing Drew Hobbs, an 18 year old male from Converse, Indiana, new information about the Midland dialect resulted. Providing information of his family history and residence will help one to understand his dialect in full.
Through his own personal dialect and the dialects of those who live around him, a truly unique dialect can be heard.
- His mother and father grew up in Alexandria, Indiana and Tipton, Indiana respectively and their parents grew up in the towns where they raised their children.
- He lives in the country-side, approximately halfway between Marion, Indiana and Kokomo Indiana in Grant County (see Figure 1).
- His mother is a middle school science teacher and his father is a Colonel in army.
Through his own personal dialect and the dialects of those who live around him, a truly unique dialect can be heard.
- Mr. Hobbs pronounces the words “cot” and “caught” in the same way, making the terms homophones, where as /ɑ/ and /ɔ/ become phonemes. This merger originated in Pittsburg (Ash 39). I also pronounce it in the same way, as do my family and neighbors.
- Also he pronounces the words “Mary,” “marry,” and “merry” the exact same resulting in /æ/, /ɛ/, or /eɪ/phonemes.
- Mr. Hobbs uses the “need/want +past particle construction, which is specific to the Midland dialect, originating from Pennsylvania (Murray 255). Mr.Hobbs says “my clothes need washed."
- He uses the term "dinner" as opposed to supper.