Dialect split in original language?

sagehen sagehen at WESTELCOM.COM
Tue Oct 10 16:34:30 UTC 2006


>Or Irish vs. Scotch?  Or British vs. American (~ the American tendency to
>>move primary stress toward the front of words)?

>--Charlie
~~~~~~~~~~
    I think it's really the other way around:  I'm more aware of a strong
tendency to move the accent along in American speech, where the English
hang onto that initial accent.  I remember an interview Barbara Frum, host
of "As It Happens"(CBC) back in the 70s & 80s, had with an English
traditionalist  who was bemoaning the deterioration of British speech, in
particular allowing the accent to drift away from the initial syllable. I
think he saw it as an Americanization.
There was a time, half a century ago, when "pejorative" was pronounced with
the accent on the first syl.  I think Sen Byrd & I are the only ones left
alive who still say it that way!
AM

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W stands for >:<  War ____Waste___Wiretaps____Witchhunts  >:<
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