Vowel change as systemic optimisation: why the New Zealand English front vowel shift is not a good example

Abstract

This article discusses the relation between articulatory features and phonetic properties in the light of a specific type of vowel change, namely a push-chain in the front vowel system of New Zealand English. Specifically, an idea put forward by Hawkins (1976), which claims that the NZE front vowel shift is an example of phonological optimisation in vowel systems, will be discussed in some detail. It will be argued, contra Hawkins, that the NZE front vowel shift is not a good example of phonological optimisation in vowel systems due to the existence of intermediate systems in the speech of individuals showing complex patterns of allophonisation, turning the idea of economy on its head.