Example linguistics dissertation topic 2:

The inter-relation between Cornish identity and Cornish dialect: A case study of two Cornish octogenarians and two Cornish twenty-year olds.

A region with a strong separate – and separatist – identity, Cornwall has lent to the wider lexicon of English numerous words, such as ‘buster’ (someone mischievous) and ‘mind’ (as in, ‘mind you come tomorrow’). This dissertation explores the extent to which the everyday use of Cornish dialect (but not use of the Cornish language per se) informs the identity of Cornish people, and whether such identity has suffered greatly as a result of a media-driven, national construct of English. The volunteers chosen have not previously travelled beyond the border of Cornwall and believe themselves to be representative of their age and social position. Extensive conversations on various matters are recorded to track their natural use of Cornish dialect, and interviews on the participants’ view of their Cornish identity are undertaken.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Hobsbawn, E. (1996). ‘Language, culture, and national identity’, Social Research, Vol. 63(4), pp. 1065-1080.
• MacAulay, D. (1992). The Celtic languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Mills, J. (1999). Cornish lexicography in the twentieth century: Standardisation and divergence’, Bulletin suisse de linguistique appliquée, Vol. 69(1), pp. 45-57.