Everything about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is as fascinating as it can be. It hosts the largest of the Great Lakes – Lake Superior; it has an area in square miles that is larger than the state of Maryland and there can be ice on Lake Superior in the month of June! Apart from its exterior beauty, the UP is also home to a dialect of its own – the Yooper dialect, proudly spoken by the residents of the Upper Peninsula fondly referred to as Yoopers. Michigan Tech is all geared up to witness a dissection of the Yooper identity and dialect, as Dr. Kathryn Remlinger, a Professor in the Department of English at Grand Valley State University, discusses the emergence of the Yoopers’ own form of English and her research in this area, on Tuesday, March 6.
The linguistic background of the natives and residents of UP largely influence the structure and use of the local way of speaking. People with either Finnish, French Canadian, Cornish, Scandinavian, German, or Anishinaabe descent form a majority of the residents of the UP, hence the pronounced influence. The first written evidence of the origin of the term Yooper dates back to 1979 when a newspaper in Escanaba had a contest to see what people in the U.P. would call themselves, and Yooper won. Given the regional nature of Yooper, people from other areas continue being intrigued as the Yoopers flaunt their own style of communication. After all, there’s nothing quite like being a Yooper, eh?
Dr. Remlinger has been conducting historical and contemporary research since 2000, about the development of the Yooper dialect, its relationship with the UP and the concept of Yooper identity. The project’s culmination was when her work and findings were published as a book – ‘Yooper Talk: Dialect as Identity in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula’ by the University of Wisconsin Press in 2017. During her initial research from 2000-2002, Remlinger interviewed 75 lifelong residents aged 12-92. Since then, she has continued to examine attitudes about the dialect and perceptions about “Yoopers.” She has also spent many hours researching information from the vast historical archives at Michigan Technological University, Northern Michigan University and Finlandia University. Dr. Remlinger’s research focuses on the idea of the Yooper identity more than the details of the dialect; however, they both enjoy a synergistic relationship. “My research demonstrates how relationships among identity, language and place have emerged since the early 1900s to shape the idea of Yooper as both a way of speaking and a regional identity,” she said. After discussing her research, Dr. Remlinger would be available for a Q & A session, followed by a book signing opportunity.
The session promises to be a real treat for language enthusiasts, an insightful talk for others and a discussion packed with interesting dialogue for the Yoopers themselves. Also, it would be another opportunity to adore the mighty UP and take pride in its idiosyncrasies! For now, Say yah to da U.P., eh! This lecture will take place Tuesday, March 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building. This event is free to all who attend and some refreshments will be provided.
