Phonological features

It may be argued that only certain features serve to distinguish CFE as a variety, being shared with no other South African variety. Some features are shared with other local varieties than L1 ‘white’ SAfE, while the majority are shared with at least some lects of the latter.

Thus, features shared with varieties of L1 white SAfE include:

(a) vowel retraction before /l/;

(b) the South African Short Front Vowel Shift (KIT-, DRESS-, TRAP-Raising);

(c) the KIT-Split;

(d) ONE-Rounding;

(e) DANCE-Fronting (although this is not usual for Respectable SAfE);

(f) STRUT-Lowering;

(g) BATH/PALM/START-Fronting;

(h) NURSE realized as [з:], [ø:];

(i) FLEECE realized as [i:];

(j) Onset Centralization of FACE, GOAT;

(k) Onset Raising in CHOICE;

(l) THOUGHT/NORTH/FORCE-Raising;

(m) Monophthongisation of NEAR, SQUARE, CURE;

(n) happY-Lengthening;

(o) Initial Stop De-aspiration;

p /h/ as [ɦ] ;

(q) Obstruent-/r/;

(r) Dark /l/;

(s) Non-Reduction;

(t) (probably) Consonant Cluster Reduction

Features shared with other SAfE varieties than L1 white SAfE include

(a) those shared with White Afrikaans English:

(i) LOT-Raising;

(ii) Markedly Peripheral Offglides (PRICE, MOUTH, FACE, GOAT CHOICE);

(iii) Final-Obstruent Devoicing;

(iv) B-Fricativisation;

(v) Dental T, D;

(vi) Sibilant Confusion;

(vii) Hushing/Hissing Substitution;

(viii) Initial /g/, /ʤ/ Devoicing;

(ix) ‘Hard Attack’/Hiatus Filling with [ʔ] ;

(b) those shared with South African Indian English:

(i) Markedly Peripheral FOOT, GOOSE;

(ii) TH-Stopping;

(iii) Stress-Shift.

Unique features within the South African context – that is, the defining features of CFE – would therefore comprise:

(a) Antedental /f/;

(b) Final-Nasal Elision;

(c) Canadian Raising in PRICE, MOUTH (and FACE, GOAT?);

(d) NURSE realized as [ə(:)] , [ɐ:] , [ɒ:^ə] ;

(e) Hushing Fricative Backing