Shifty vowels: Diphthong change and social meaning in Afrikaans speech

Research on Afrikaans phonetics has traditionally treated diphthongs as ancillary to the broader vowel system, often subsuming them under monophthongal analyses or describing them only in passing. This study argues that three Afrikaans diphthongs – YS (/əi/), SLAAI (/aːi/), and NOOI (/oːi/) – are currently implicated in a systematic reorganisation of the vowel space consistent with Labovian chain-shift principles. Drawing on recent descriptive work and preliminary corpus evidence, I propose that lowering of YS, backing and raising of SLAAI, and possible further raising of NOOI form an interrelated subsystem rather than isolated instances of variation. The study combines acoustic analysis with sociolinguistic theory to investigate both structural and social dimensions of this putative shift. Data will be collected from 40 speakers in Potchefstroom and surrounding areas through a Labovian interview schedule administered virtually, supplemented where possible with comparable in-person recordings. The analysis will examine apparent-time patterns, co-variation among the three diphthongs, and potential conditioning by age, sex, and style. In addition, a focused third-wave case study of a single speaker will explore whether participation in the shift functions as an indexical resource in the negotiation of situated identity. By integrating first- and third-wave approaches, and by incorporating virtual data collection as a methodological variable, the study aims to establish whether contemporary Afrikaans is undergoing a diphthong chain shift and how such change may acquire social meaning. In so doing, it contributes to Afrikaans sociophonetics, to broader theories of vowel shifting, and to emerging discussions of digitally mediated speech styles.