Dueling dialects

[Mullins, Bill]

>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       David Bergdahl <einstein at FROGNET.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Dueling dialects
> --------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Ed (from SE PA/Philly) wrote:
>
> No way, the classical 3-way distinction was: Mary [e],
> merry [@], marry [ae]. Any other pronunciation is
> barbaric :)
>
> so merry = Murray??
>
> 4-way splitting David from Valley Stream, LI, NY
>

Maury County, TN is pronounced halfway between "merry" and "Murray", maybe a
little closer to "Murray".
Blount County, TN is "blunt".