Linguists Walt Wolfram and Jeff Reaser have been documenting the Ocracoke Brogue for some time. Although outside influences weaken and threaten this unique dialect, it persists into the 21st century. In addition, Wolfram and Reaser have preserved recordings of many Ocracoke natives. They also return to the island regularly to share their research with locals and visitors.
Just this month sociolinguistics students from NC State University accompanied Wolfram and Reaser to the Ocracoke School to present their findings, and interact with local students. Interestingly, one of the NC State student linguists was Ocracoke native, Katie O'Neal.
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| Katie O'Neal, photo courtesy Ocracoke Observer |
You can read about their recent visit here: https://ocracokeobserver.com/2017/04/12/ocracokes-hoi-toide-brogue-continues-to-fascinate/.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Ocracoke Water Tank Caper. This is the link: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032117.htm.
Do the younger natives such as Katie O'Neal speak with the brogue? Thanks again for your interesting articles.
ReplyDeleteSome do, some don't. Some more than others.
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