Grandmas’ conspiracy?: a sociolinguistic account of the realizations of /t/ by third-generation heritage Modern Greek speakers in Toronto

This study examines how the presence and the absence of grandmothers (first-generation immigrants) affect a specific feature of the phonological system of third-generation heritage Modern Greek speakers in Toronto, namely, the variation attested in the realizations of the voiceless alveolar stop /t/. Data from 27 participants show that when grandmothers were actively involved, homeland-like non-aspirated [t] realizations prevail. However, reduced involvement or absence of grandmothers leads to increased occurrences of aspirated [th ] realizations, influenced by Canadian English. The results highlight the role of family dynamics in shaping the speakers’ phonology, emphasizing that phonological studies should consider the broader sociolinguistic context.