Smoky Mountain English

Bridget L. Anderson

Appalachian English broadly covers the language of the Southern highlands in the American South. More than one variety of English is spoken in the region, and this book focuses on the Smoky Mountain English of the Graham and Cherokee counties in western North Carolina. Residents of Graham and Cherokee once engaged in traditional industries, such as farming and logging, but the closure of textile plants created an economic depression that has moved both counties toward service and tourism. Yet Cherokee County is changing, economically and socially, at a much more rapid rate than Graham County. Cherokee has nearly three times as many residents as Graham, significantly more industry, and an influx of migrants from Florida. Comparing and contrasting features from these two populations provides an opportunity to see how two rural Appalachian communities have responded to economic pressures in different ways, both socially and linguistically.

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About the Author

Bridget L. Anderson is an assistant professor of linguistics at Old Dominion University.

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