Clive Upton
Encyclopedia
Clive Upton is professor of English language
at the University of Leeds
, England
, specializing in dialectology
and sociolinguistics
. He has also acted as a consultant on British pronuciation for the English-language dictionaries
published by Oxford University Press
, including the Oxford English Dictionary
, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
, and the Concise Oxford Dictionary. He was also responsible for the British element of the Oxford Dictionary of Pronunciation for Current English (2001).
Upton's system for representing the vowels of British English
is based on the International Phonetic Alphabet
, following the normal practice of the late 20th century. He chose the customary presentation of these known as "qualitative-quantitative", which meant that short vowels are represented by a specific symbol, while long vowels are represented by the same symbol followed by the colon
-like mark used in IPA to indicate their greater length. (Since long vowels in most modern European languages often have a slightly different sound, a strictly accurate phonetic transcription often requires a different symbol, but this would increase the complexity of the system.)
The set of IPA symbols he chose as his basic short vowels of British English is different from that found in other dictionaries. To some extent this reflects actual shifts in the "Received Pronunciation
" of British English during the 20th century. Some British linguists accustomed to a different set of symbols have taken issue with his choice.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, specializing in dialectology
Dialectology
Dialectology is the scientific study of linguistic dialect, a sub-field of sociolinguistics. It studies variations in language based primarily on geographic distribution and their associated features...
and sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics is the descriptive study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language is used, and the effects of language use on society...
. He has also acted as a consultant on British pronuciation for the English-language dictionaries
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
published by Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, including the Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, often abbreviated to SOED, is a scaled-down version of the Oxford English Dictionary . It comprises two volumes rather than the twenty needed for the full second edition of the OED...
, and the Concise Oxford Dictionary. He was also responsible for the British element of the Oxford Dictionary of Pronunciation for Current English (2001).
Upton's system for representing the vowels of British English
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
is based on the International Phonetic Alphabet
International Phonetic Alphabet
The International Phonetic Alphabet "The acronym 'IPA' strictly refers [...] to the 'International Phonetic Association'. But it is now such a common practice to use the acronym also to refer to the alphabet itself that resistance seems pedantic...
, following the normal practice of the late 20th century. He chose the customary presentation of these known as "qualitative-quantitative", which meant that short vowels are represented by a specific symbol, while long vowels are represented by the same symbol followed by the colon
Colon (punctuation)
The colon is a punctuation mark consisting of two equally sized dots centered on the same vertical line.-Usage:A colon informs the reader that what follows the mark proves, explains, or lists elements of what preceded the mark....
-like mark used in IPA to indicate their greater length. (Since long vowels in most modern European languages often have a slightly different sound, a strictly accurate phonetic transcription often requires a different symbol, but this would increase the complexity of the system.)
The set of IPA symbols he chose as his basic short vowels of British English is different from that found in other dictionaries. To some extent this reflects actual shifts in the "Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English, Oxford English or BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms...
" of British English during the 20th century. Some British linguists accustomed to a different set of symbols have taken issue with his choice.