Rhythm as a cue to identifiability in Maltese English

Abstract

Evidence is emerging to suggest that rhythm is possibly one of the more salient cues in the identification of Maltese English, a variety of English, distinct from other varieties, which is used extensively by many Maltese speakers of English. An attempt is made at using the Pairwise Variability Index (PVI) to: (i) categorize the clearly ‘different’ rhythm of this variety of English; and (ii) begin to explore whether it can be used to capture intra-variety differences – one of the hallmarks of Maltese English – across speakers. This preliminary empirical study of rhythm in this variety also gives scope for a discussion of some of the challenges for, as well as the potential of, using the PVI measure to capture information about both ‘local’ and ‘global’ variability. Furthermore, possibilities for establishing a correlation between the PVI and ‘identifiability’ are explored.