Original scientific paper
Extrinsic indexical characteristics of Varaždin and Osijek dialect speakers
Gordana Varošanec-Škarić
orcid.org/0000-0002-0864-4252
; Filozofski fakultet, Zagreb
Gabrijela Kišiček
orcid.org/0000-0002-5055-9609
; Filozofski fakultet, Zagreb
Abstract
The aim of the study was to find out which stereotypical extrinsic indexical characteristics are
ascribed to the speakers from two Croatian cities: Varaždin (Kajkavian origin) and Osijek (Shtokavian
origin). The question was whether negative indexical characteristics depend on the geographical
region or are they simply referred to as regional speech, as well as how much of this regional
accent is tolerated among the listeners. Altogether there were 40 subjects, same number of male
and female subjects, 20 from each town. According to 40 randomly played 20–second samples of
spontaneous speech, 28 listeners tried to make an evaluation of social and psychological indexical
characteristic on the linear seven–degree scale. The final T–test results for all listeners haven’t
shown any difference in evaluation of Varaždin and Osijek speakers’ regional quality. On the other
hand, listeners of Kajkavian origin from Northwest Croatia rated all speakers significantly less
regional than the listeners of Shtokavian origin from East Croatia did. However, the latter rated
speakers from Osijek significantly better (p<0.0001), which is a sign of greater certainty due to the
fact Croatian standard pronunciation is based on Shtokavian dialect. Procedure VARIMAX rotation
of main components showed four factors: speech acceptability vs. unacceptability, psychological
acceptability vs. unacceptability, liberal vs. conservative and likeable vs. not likeable. The factor
of speech acceptability is highly significantly correlated with occupation (r = 0.957, p<0.0001), intelligence,
education, higher social status, speech acceptability in public use and interest for becoming
friendly with the speaker. It is in middle positive correlation with the evaluation of character
and degree being liberal and in middle significant negative correlation with inferiority, degree of
being conservative and being meek. Psychological acceptability factor is in high significant correlation
with inferior, meek and underestimating character, and in middle negative correlation with
occupation, education, speech acceptability in public use and higher social status. Psychological acceptability
factor is in high significant correlation with inferior, meek and underestimating character,
and in middle negative correlation with occupation, education, speech acceptability in public
use and higher social status. The results have shown that speaker’s indexical information based
on their city speech are notable and important to evaluators. It is interesting that there were no
statistically significant differences concerning the regional determination of cities in factors of
speech acceptability, psychological social empathy, liberality, conservativeness and likeability. Speakers
from Osijek were evaluated as slightly better in the factor that refers to speech acceptability
(social status, etc.), while speakers from Varaždin were evaluated as better in the factor of psychological–
social empathy. Speakers who were evaluated as maximum confident, intellectual and cultivated
were at the same time considered to be somehow aggressive, dominant and not to likeable.
Their speech had characteristics of generally received Croatian pronunciation. Two speakers (one
from Varaždin and the other from Osijek) whose speech was indexically evaluated as non–regional
and acceptable for public use, have some common pronunciation characteristics: one–syllable pronunciation
of long yat that they pronounce as half–long, middle pronunciation of affricate [t$], i. e.
thereis no difference between »soft« [t] and »hard« [t$] affricate as codified language system proscribes,
although it is a common thing in Croatian Received Pronunciation. The speaker from Vara‘
dinregularly uses short dynamic stress instead of short–rising stress which is a noticeable
tendency in Croatian widely accepted pronunciation. The speaker from Osijek uses four stresses
which characteristic for codified standard and possible pronunciation in Croatian widely accepted
pronunciation. Both of them use half–long–falling stress instead of the proscribed long–falling
stress and don’t move the falling stresses onto the prefix, but leave the stress on the word that
carries the meaning which is also a tendency in widely accepted pronunciation. It is noticeable
that both of them have a good pronunciation of five cardinal proscribed vowels in Croatian codified
and generally received pronunciation. The way vowels are pronounced is obviously a strong
indicator of regional and non–regional pronunciation and speech acceptability in public use as it
seems more important than the suprasegmental level of stress pronunciation.
One can conclude that Croatian evaluators make difference between the prestigious speech in
public use and emotional attitude towards the speakers. On the other side, that shows that they
are sure of what are today characteristics of Croatian generally received pronunciation.
Keywords
sociophonetic research; indexical data; urban speakers; Croatian language
Hrčak ID:
38140
URI
Publication date:
19.6.2009.
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