The topic of this article is sibilant palatalisation in the speech of Moroccan-Dutch youth from Gouda, a small city in the Netherlands. In the first part of the article, sibilant palatalisation is described as a variable feature of Moroccan-Dutch speech, which mainly occurs in restricted
phonetic and lexical contexts. In the second part some of the data will be explored more closely through the lens of stance-taking. By adopting this particular approach a different light is thrown on the concept of the Moroccan Dutch ethnolect. Sibilant palatalisation, which can function as
a stance marker, should not be solely viewed as a linguistic marker of ethnic identity.
It is assumed that there exists a multiethnolect in the Netherlands that is used by Dutch youth with different heritage backgrounds. It is lexically mainly influenced by Sranan Tongo while phonetically it is mainly influenced by a Moroccan Dutch accent. In this article, I will argue, based on metalinguistic comments given in interviews, that Moroccan Dutch youth speech in the city of Gouda departs from this conception of multiethnolect. Interviews with Moroccan Dutch teenagers there reveal that, in their youth variety, Sranan Tongo lexical items are not readily accepted and used. In addition, their perception of Straattaal differs from the perception of their Indigenous Dutch peers in Gouda. In this way, a different light can be shed on multiethnolect in the Netherlands.
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