Science

Ultrasound reveals hidden tongue movements behind centuries-old language change

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Briefings

Lancaster University researchers used ultrasound imaging to observe real-time tongue movements during a centuries-old English language shift in Blackburn, Lancashire. Speakers in this region retain the historical strong-R pronunciation after vowels in words like star and heart, a feature that has been changing for centuries. The study provides a rare visual record of this linguistic evolution occurring inside the mouths of active speakers.

Key points

• Scientists at Lancaster University utilized ultrasound imaging to capture real-time tongue movements during a centuries-old English language shift in Blackburn, Lancashire.
• Speakers in Blackburn retain the historical strong-R pronunciation after vowels in words like star and heart, a feature that has been changing for centuries.

Context

This research offers a rare visual record of how English speech evolves over time, specifically in Blackburn, Lancashire, where many older speakers still use the historical strong-R sound after vowels in words like star and heart.

Limitations

Evidence is limited to a single snapshot of one specific location (Blackburn, Lancashire) and one specific linguistic change (historical strong-R pronunciation). The study captures a moment in time rather than a comprehensive historical record, and the specific speakers observed are not identified.

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