Re-evaluating the Prestige of Regional Accents in Netherlandic Standard Dutch: The Role of Accent Strength and Speaker Gender

Abstract

This article investigates three neglected determinants of native speakers’ attitudes toward regional accent variation in Netherlandic Standard Dutch, namely, accent strength, speaker gender, and the evaluation dimension dynamism. Nineteen participants first rated 126 speech clips representing three regional accents (Randstad, Groningen, Limburg) in terms of the expected regional origin of the speakers and their accent strength. In a subsequent speaker evaluation study, 148 participants rated the 16 clips that emanated from Study 1 as the mildest and broadest accented male and female Randstad and Limburg speech. Crucially, accent strength variation reduced the alleged status asymmetry between the high-prestige Randstad and the low-prestige Limburg accent, since mild versions of the Limburg accent were significantly upgraded on superiority and dynamism. And broadly accented Randstad females were downgraded on superiority but not on dynamism. All in all, our findings necessitate a thorough revision of current thinking about accent-triggered impression formation in Dutch.