Pulmonic ingressive speech in the Shetland Isles: Some observations on a potential Nordic relic feature

Abstract

This paper provides a commentary on and discussion of pulmonic ingressive speech in the Shetland Isles. The aim is to contribute towards a further understanding of the current distribution of ingressive speech in the Shetland community and some of the situational factors governing its usage. Observations are also discussed which may provide clues to the mechanisms for and constraints on the transference of ingressives and may therefore be relevant for establishing the origin of ingressives in Shetland. The observations discussed were made by the author in Shetland and Sweden and by previous researchers in Norway, the USA and elsewhere.