ABSTRACT
Many chapters in this volume address the multifaceted question of how to define the South along historical, cultural, and social parameters. Defining the South linguistically is no less complex. 1 According to the 2014 Census, the South is home to 36 percent of all Americans, and speakers of Southern English make up the largest accent group in the United States. Yet Southern English is one of the most denigrated and stigmatized language varieties in the United States, thought by many to reflect a backward southern culture. Although it is a fundamental linguistic truth that no one language variety (dialect) is inherently better than any other, many people have strong negative beliefs about variation. When respondents were asked to rate the degree of “correctness” of English spoken in regions around the country, they repeatedly gave the South the lowest ratings—even when the respondents were southerners. Jennifer Cramer states that Southern English is also “iconically linked to social class,” and portrayals of southerners with strong accents often suggest that these speakers are unsophisticated or even culturally backward. Such stereotypes about southerners’ intelligence based simply on accent have been found to hinder educational and occupational opportunities. At the same time, listeners associate Southern English with pleasantness and friendliness; moreover, the increasing national appeal of country music has brought further attention to and helped popularize Southern English. 2
