Yooper Talk: Dialect as Identity in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan-known as "the U P"-is historically, geographically, and culturally distinct. Struggles over land, labor, and language during the last 150 years have shaped the variety of English spoken by resident Yoopers, as well as how they are viewed by outsiders-and themselves. Drawing on sixteen years of fieldwork, including interviews with seventy-five lifelong residents of the UP, Kathryn Remlinger examines how the idea of a unique Yooper dialect emerged. Considering UP English in relation to other regional dialects and their speakers, she looks at local identity, literacy practices, media representations, language attitudes, notions of authenticity, economic factors, tourism, and contact with non-English immigrant and Native American languages. The book also explores how a dialect becomes a recognizable and valuable commodity: Yooper talk (or "Yoopanese") is emblazoned on t-shirts, flags, postcards, coffee mugs, and bumper stickers.

Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
Published: 06/27/2017
Pages: 208
Weight: 0.79lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.70w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9780299312503

About the Author
Kathryn Remlinger is a professor of English at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan.