1. ISOGLOSS
Isobar?
Isotherm?

2. ISOGLOSS
A line drawn on a map between two different realisations of a single linguistic variable.

3. ISOGLOSS + _
These realizations are often the result of a historical process, such that on one side of the line the process has occurred (+), and on the other it has not occurred (-).

4. ISOGLOSS b a
Here are two isoglosses, showing two imaginary processes which we shall call a and b

5. ISOGLOSS a +a +b +a -b -a +b b -a -b
They split the area into 4 different language varieties.

9. BUNDLES OF ISOGLOSSES dialect x dialect y
Isoglosses often occur in bundles, resulting in different dialectal areas with a transition zone between them.

11. STRUT/FOOT
BATH/TRAP

14. “Fuzziness” of isoglosses

15. “Fuzziness” of isoglosses

16. “Fuzziness” of isoglosses0%
34%
72%
18%
43%
56% 3%
97%
100% 0%
100%

17. “Fuzziness” of isoglosses0%
34%
72%
18%
43%
56% 3%
97%
100% 0%
100%

18. J.K. Chambers and Peter Trudgill, Dialectology. Cambridge 1980
Chapter 8 Transitions

19. (Chambers and Trudgill)
Fuzziness of phonological isoglosses:
1. Mixed lects
This is the area where STRUT
words are variably pronounced
with or
The figures show the
percentages of STRUT words
pronounced with :
100 indicates they all are;
50 that only half of them are;
0 that none are.
I.e. 0 means a full FOOT-STRUT
Split, while 100 means there is
no split.
(Chambers and Trudgill)

20. (Chambers and Trudgill)
Fuzziness of phonological isoglosses:
1. Mixed lects
Northern
Southern
Northern
predominant
Southern
predominant
(Chambers and Trudgill)

21. (Chambers and Trudgill)
Fuzziness of phonological isoglosses:
2. Fudged lects
Hatched areas show vowels which are neither nor
(Chambers and Trudgill)