New Zealand English--at only 150 years old--is one of the newest varieties of English, and is unique in that its full history and development are documented in extensive audio-recordings. This book examines and analyzes the extensive linguistic changes New Zealand English has undergone over the past 150 years on the basis of these recordings. The authors, experts in phonetics and sociolinguistics, use the data to test previous explanations for new dialect formation, and to challenge current claims about the nature of language change. "an excellently grounded theory on the origins of NZE" Isabel Moskowich-Spiegel Fandino Examines the origins and development of New Zealand English on the basis of extensive audio-recordings. Elizabeth Gordon is an Associate Professor in the department of Linguistics at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Lyle Campbell is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Jennifer Hay is a lecturer in the department of Linguistics at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Margaret Maclagan is a Senior Lecturer in Speech and Language Therapy at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Andrea Sudbury is a research administrator at the Management Centre, King's College London.