A study of Irish English and its characterisation in the TV series Normal People

Abstract

This work seeks to provide a description of the sociolinguistic situation and a linguistic characterisation of English in Ireland, focusing on Irish English (IrE) or Hiberno-English. The aim is to combine a theoretical approach with an analysis of how the variety is represented in Normal People (2020), a TV mini-series adapted from Sally Rooney's novel (2018). This study is motivated by the depiction of Hiberno-English identity and its subvarieties. The dissertation will be divided into two sections: the first section will address the theoretical aspects, concentrating on the sociolinguistic context and linguistic characteristics of the variety and subvarieties. Moreover, this part includes an analysis of the variety based on an examination of the various theoretical frameworks for describing World Englishes, such as Kachru (1985) or Schneider (2007). It will then examine the linguistic features of Hiberno-English within the context of Ireland, exploring its potential connections with the two main reference varieties and its relationship with other World Englishes. The second part of the dissertation will include an analysis of the characterisation of the variety in the TV series Normal People (2020). This description will encompass various linguistic levels, including phonological, morphological, syntactic, and lexical aspects. Moreover, it will explore the language choices made in the series, focusing on how they align with or diverge from the actual linguistic diversity within Ireland, particularly concerning Hiberno-English subvarieties and the broader spectrum of World Englishes.