/wh/ - /w/

[Dennis R. Preston]

>It took me less time to grow up in Louisville a
>decade earlier, and I clearly have
>homophonophobia.

dInIs


>
>dInIsI grew up in Portland Oregon in the
>1950-1970s. I don't have the w/wh distinction so
>whine/wine are homophones. For me, ant/aunt are
>homophones as well.
>
>allen
>maberry at myuw.net
>
>
>
>On Tue, 28 Sep 2004, Wilson Gray wrote:
>
>>  ---------------------- Information from the
>>mail header -----------------------
>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       Wilson Gray <wilson.gray at RCN.COM>
>>  Subject:      Re: /wh/ - /w/
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>  On Sep 28, 2004, at 9:42 PM, Dennis R. Preston wrote:
>>
>>  > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  > -----------------------
>>  > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  > Poster:       "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU>
>>  > Subject:      Re: /wh/ - /w/
>>  > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  > --------
>>  >
>>  >> Rural-urban is indeed an important distinction
>>  >> and now (finally) being paid attention to. I'm
>>  >> bemused by the /ant/ (as opposed to /ÊÆ¥/)
>>  >> pronouncers in Oregon. Tell us more.
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > dInis
>>  >>
>>  >
>>
>>  dInIs, I think that she means that "aunt" is pronounced as though
>>  spelled "ant" and not that it's actually pronounced [ant]. Though I
>>  could be wrong, of course.
>>
>>  -Wilson
>>
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >>  ---------------------- Information from the
>>  >> mail header -----------------------
>>  >>   Sender:       American Dialect Society
>>  >> <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>>
>>  >>   Poster:       "Dennis R. Preston"
>>  >> <preston at MSU.EDU<mailto:preston at MSU.EDU>>
>>  >>   Subject:      Re: /wh/ - /w/
>>  >>
>>  >> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >> ---------
>>  >>
>>  >>> The poshness of /hw/-/w/ is odd to me too (since I had it nateral as
>>  >>> a kid), but I came to learn later that many thought of it as a swell
>>  >>> form (and have been teased mercilessly by my Milwaukee wife, who
>>  >>> also mocks my /a/nvelope, /ku/pon, and pa/ja/mas).
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >> Dennis, I grew up in Southern California but of
>>  >> solid Appalachian and Missouri country stock.
>>  >> My "accent" is like yours, and believe me, I'm
>>  >> not a member of anything remotely elite or posh.
>>  >> I spoke quite like a mountain child until
>>  >> beginning school in 1953 - the Los Angeles
>>  >> school system trained me out of it quickly.  It
>>  >> comes back just as quickly, though, if I'm with
>>  >> someone from the deep south.  I do not, however,
>>  >> say "aunt" as [ahnt] as southern
>>  >> African-Americans do, but rather [ant].
>>  >>
>>  >> I now live in rural Oregon and find many people
>>  >> here sound a lot like my old relatives but
>>  >> without the hard twang, but many of them say
>>  >> [ahnt].  No idea why.
>>  >>
>>  >> I sometimes wonder if it's rurality more than
>>  >> regionality that influences how we sound.  I'm
>>  >> just now beginning to study all of this and am
>>  >> fascinated.
>>  >>
>>  >> Marsha Alley marshaalley at msn.com<mailto:marshaalley at msn.com>
>>  >> /a little red-faced over the sux conversation, but I'll get over it,
>>  >> LOL
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > --
>>  > Dennis R. Preston
>>  > University Distinguished Professor of Linguistics
>>  > Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African
>>  > Languages
>>  > A-740 Wells Hall
>>  > Michigan State University
>>  > East Lansing, MI 48824
>>  > Phone: (517) 432-3099
>>  > Fax: (517) 432-2736
>>  > preston at msu.edu
>>  >
>>


--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African Languages
A-740 Wells Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: (517) 432-3099
Fax: (517) 432-2736
preston at msu.edu