Vernacular English in Ireland: History and Linguistic Overview

Abstract

English has been present on the Emerald Island since about the 13th century, making Irish English the oldest of the vernacular varieties outside Britain. The purpose of this paper is to describe the conditions of the shift process from the former vernacular language – Irish Gaelic – to the input language – English – and present some of the most distinctive linguistic features, focusing on the phonology and grammar of the English dialect used in the Republic of Ireland as a linguistic area. With this aim in mind, the paper will introduce some of the terms that has been used to refer to this particular variety – Anglo-Irish, Hiberno English and Irish English – and explain the reasons for the selection of the latter, followed by a short presentation of the notions of the substratist and retentionist views and the processes of supraregionalisation and vernacularisation. Following this, a review of the history of the shift to English will be done, based on Raymond Hickey’s and Jeffrey Kallen’s research. The shift took over eight centuries to be totally completed, and included the settlement of the Anglo-Irish, the assimilation of those by the Irish and the latter definitive conquest with the help of Oliver Cromwell’s policies. Emigration and the Great Potato Famine helped this process reach its fulfillment in the nineteenth century. The uneven nature of vernacular Irish English (accent) demands an explanation of the linguistic dialectal areas within the Republic of Ireland: east, south-west, west, midlands and transitional gap in the northern area of the country. The distinction in phonological variation is quite clear in each of these areas, as is shown in the presentation of the areal features. However, five phonological features will give an impression of Ireland as a linguistic area. The morphology and syntax of Irish English under the grammar section presents a small areal variation, thus only shared elements are explained in order to reinforce the idea of Irish English as a single variety in the Republic. Despite its varied nature, Irish English has many features that are shared all over the Republic, thus we can say that it represents an Irish identity.