performance/preformance

[RonButters at AOL.COM]

In a message dated 1/31/2000 9:50:07 AM, highbob at MINDSPRING.COM writes:

<< Oh, yes.  I've heard in words like "preformance" and "preform," and also in
the word "southren" for southern.  I don't hear it as much as I used to do.

I have no idea of the cause, but I remember thinking at one time it might be
a form of hypercorrectivism perhaps caused by misreading.  Maybe it's all a
phenonmenon traced back to dyslexia.  But I doubt it.  (Very much.) >>

It is called metathesis (sometimes methasetis). BIRD and BRID have bveen
going bvck and forth this way throughout history. Likewise ASK and AKS. It is
a normal process of linguistic change.