The pronunciation of english in South Africa

This chapter offers a general overview of the evolution of South African English (SAfE) as well as its current characteristics, both from a descriptive point of view as well as from the point of view of what might be referred to as the “social life” of this dialect, i.e., the linguistic system’s diachronic and synchronic relationships with social factors and forces. The emphasis falls on the pronunciation features of SAfE. Details are provided not only for the standard variety but also the various sociolects, ethnolects as well as L2 varieties. The social history of SAfE is first sketched, detailing its emergence via a complex nineteenth century koineization process and then focusing on subsequent developments. The process of the transmission of English to nonancestral communities is explained. Then an overview of the various varieties’ pronunciation features is provided, and a section overviewing current developments in the field is discussed.