Haf and have

[Duane Campbell]

It seems that when "have" is used to mean "need" -- as in, "I have to go
to the bathroom" -- it is pronounced "haf". But the same speaker using
"have" as perfect tense or when meaning "possess" the "v" is vocalized. I
have even heard, "I haf to have this."

Am I imagining this? Is this one word becoming two distinct words by
meaning and pronunciation? Am I just a dilettante observing something
that has been studied to death?

D