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Pittsburghese Expertise

Linguist Barbara Johnstone of Carnegie Mellon University has been studying Pittsburghese since the early 2000s. In this series for The Glassblock, she examines the different facets of our local lingo, providing a deeper insight into why yinz talk the way yinz do.

Pittsburghese Expertise: Vowel Town

What is it about our vowel sounds that sets Pittsburgh apart? Linguist Barbara Johnstone digs into monophthongization, the fronted /o/, and the low-back merger.

By Barbara Johnstone
August 15, 2016
Essay

Pittsburghese Expertise: Dropping “To Be”

In the first of a new series examining the different facets of our local lingo, CMU linguist Barbara Johnstone provides a deeper insight into the Pittsburghese pattern of dropping “to be.”

By Barbara Johnstone
July 7, 2016
Essay

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