From Local to Neutral: Monophthongization of /eu/ and /oe/ in Barat–Selatan Aceh Accent

Abstract

Accent erosion has become a noticeable phenomenon in many regional speech communities, particularly in areas experiencing increased linguistic contact and social mobility. In the Barat–Selatan Aceh (BARSELA) region, local accent features are gradually shifting toward more neutral forms, one of which is reflected in vowel change. This study investigates accent erosion through the process of monophthongization of the diphthongs /eu/ and /oe/ as a qualitative case study of BARSELA speakers. The study focuses on how these diphthongs are realized in contemporary speech and how their changing pronunciation signals broader accentual change. Data were drawn from naturally occurring spoken interactions and selected elicited speech samples produced by speakers in the region. Qualitative phonological analysis reveals consistent patterns of monophthongization, where /eu/ and /oe/ are frequently realized as simpler vowel forms in everyday communication. These shifts are especially evident in informal contexts and among speakers with higher exposure to external linguistic influences. The findings suggest that monophthongization in BARSELA speech is not random, but represents a systematic phonological process associated with accent leveling and adaptation toward more widely intelligible speech forms. By focusing on specific vowel changes, this study contributes to sociophonetic and sociolinguistic discussions on accent erosion, highlighting how subtle vowel shifts can function as salient indicators of ongoing accent change in regional speech communities.

Keywords: accent erosion; Barat–Selatan Aceh; monophthongization; sociophonetics; vowel shift