July 29, 2009
It's well known that the U.P. dialect is unique, mixing Canadian and Scandinavian influence with the sounds of the Upper Midwest. But Wil Rankinen, a native of Humboldt, Mich., on the Marquette Iron Range, is giving the "Yooper" language a closer, more scientific look.
As a graduate fellow in foreign language and area studies at Indiana University, Rankinen is researching the lingering influence of immigrant language on Finnish-Americans and Italian-Americans, with an emphasis on the effect of Canadian dialect on vowel sounds.
Rankinen says his work "seeks to determine if evidence supports a Canadian influence on the English vowel systems among speakers with Finnish and Italian ancestry in the U.P."
He will share his findings in the presentation, "Sounding Out a Regional Dialect: Michigan's Upper Peninsula Vowel System Project," at the Michigan Iron Industry Museum on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 2 p.m.
Rankinen's presentation is the fifth in a six-part weekday lecture series at the museum. The final program in the series, "Native Americans and the Discovery of Iron Ore," with NMU associate professor of geography, John Anderton, will be at 2 p.m. Aug. 18.
The museum is located at 73 Forge Road, in Negaunee Township. Admission is free. Donations are encouraged and will go to support museum educational programs.
The Michigan Iron Industry Museum is one of 11 nationally accredited museums administered by the Museum Historical Center, a public, non-profit facility of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries. It is located at 73 Forge Road, overlooking the site of the Carp River Forge, a pioneer industrial site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The recently expanded museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information about the summer program series or upcoming events, call (906) 475-7857 or visit online at www.michigan.gov/ironindustrymuseum.
The Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL) is dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity. In addition to the Michigan Historical Center, HAL includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.
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