Abstract
In this study, we explored social predictors of an ongoing sound change in the Twi Advanced Tongue Root (ATR) harmony system by acoustically examining production variation in a sample of 105 speakers representing urban and traditional localities in Ghana. In the urban locality, the change was evident in all age groups and near completion in the youngest generation. In the traditional locality, by contrast, the change was evident only in some younger speakers. The effect of gender differed between localities: urban men were more advanced in the change than urban women, whereas traditional speakers showing the change were predominantly women. By reflecting the gender dynamics of societal engagement and contact in Ghana, these findings highlight the importance of local social context for the manifestation of variation and the unique insights of non-Western communities for sociolinguistic theory. ©The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Journal | Language Variation and Change |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Online published - 29 Apr 2026 |
Funding
We are thankful for funding from NSF (BCS-2214689) and Boston University, research assistance from Linda Otchere, Ebenezer Nketia, Dennis Nsafoah, and Okrah Oppong, logistical assistance from Tema Community 12 SDA Church, First Start Academy School, and the Fumesua and Asotwe Community Leaders, and helpful feedback from Kate Lindsey, Danny Erker, Jon Barnes, two anonymous reviewers, and audience members at ACAL 55, ASA 184, Brown, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, UNT Denton, UT Arlington, and University of Cape Coast.
Research Keywords
- vowel harmony
- vowel merger
- sound change
- Advanced Tongue Root
- Akan
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