dot-calm

[Beverly Flanigan]

Yes, some do this breaking, but not all.  A colleague of mine from
Cleveland just said her new high school classmates in the Cambridge, OH
area (Noble County) had the pin/pen merger but broke both to
"pee-en."  Btw, I'd call this area South Midland, not just Midland--to
distinguish it from North Midland!  Columbus doesn't do this!

At 06:06 PM 1/2/2007, you wrote:
>Bev,
>
>Do you get poo-ish alongside poosh, or bru-ish (with caret) for brush
>in your area?  Heard both from other Midlanders.
>
>Paul Johnston
>On Jan 2, 2007, at 5:33 PM, Beverly Flanigan wrote:
>
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OHIO.EDU>
>>Subject:      Re: dot-calm
>>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>---------
>>
>>I just tested these words with a long-time native (age 50).  She
>>definitely
>>would not say 'mesh' as 'maysh', nor would she say 'bulge'  or
>>'mush' with
>>/U/.  However, "mush" as breakfast food (with wedge) is a different
>>lexical
>>item than "mush" or "moosh" as a verb of squishing together; I've
>>picked up
>>the latter as distinct from the noun.
>>
>>--------------------
>>Most SE Ohio speakers lack the open O/short o distinction, agreed;
>>they
>>choose the midpoint between them, as we've discussed here before (the
>>"turned script 'a'" in IPA).  I heard 'John' said this way the
>>other day;
>>it took me by surprise, since I associate that pron. with 'Jon' but
>>not
>>'John'  (probably idiosyncratically).  But "mush" = "good" is not
>>so common
>>here; "bulge" with /U/ is the shibboleth I listen for, and I don't
>>usually
>>hear it here.  'Poosh', 'feesh', and 'meyzure' are of course common
>>here,
>>as is 'spayshul'; I've not personally heard 'mesh' with /ey/ (not a
>>common
>>lexical item), but I'll test for it.
>>
>>Beverly
>>
>>At 01:41 PM 1/2/2007, you wrote:
>>>For many speakers (like me) this is lexical; I have short e in
>>>/trezhr/ (treasure) but /meyzhr/ (measure). In SE Ohio (and adjacent
>>>areas), there is a better established rule, and it works as well for
>>>the voiced palatal as the voiceless, 'measure' and 'mesh' are both
>>>long, and for front and back vowels - fish is feesh,and push is
>>>poosh. In the mid-back, the tense lax distinction is not as well
>>>balanced, and there is considerable variation in the data I have seen
>>>for truly lax wedge (mush) - but note "mush" with the vowel of
>>>"good," often with a semantic distinction), funny lax open o
>>>(caution), and tense o (motion). If wedge is "lax o," "much" should
>>>be "mowsh" (but never is); "caution" as something higher and tenser
>>>is, however, common. Course we're also dealing with some speakers who
>>>lack an open o short o distinction, and that's part of this mix I
>>>reckon.
>>>
>>>dInIs
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>>>-----------------------
>>>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>>Poster:       David Bergdahl <dlbrgdhl at GMAIL.COM>
>>>>Subject:      Re: dot-calm
>>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>-----------
>>>>
>>>>On 1/2/07, Dennis R. Preston <preston at msu.edu> 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: dot-calm
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>------------
>>>>>
>>>>>  This works only for people who incorrectly pronounce "measure"
>>>>>with short
>>>>>  e.
>>>>>
>>>>>  dInIs
>>>>>
>>>>>  This pronunciation does not, strangely, predict "special" =
>>>>>"spacial"
>>>>although I don't why it doesn't--tensing E before ZH seems a natural
>>>>exension of E > e before SH!  Found throughout Ohio (help me w/
>>>>this Bev)
>>>>even in the north (E > e ____SH found mostly in our [Appalachian]
>>>>part of
>>>>the state)
>>>>
>>>>-David Bergdahl
>>>>Athens, Ohio
>>>>
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>>>
>>>--
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>>>
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>>>Homer Simpson
>>>
>>>Dennis R. Preston
>>>University Distinguished Professor
>>>Department of English
>>>15-C Morrill Hall
>>>Michigan State University
>>>East Lansing, MI 48824-1036
>>>Phone: (517) 353-4736
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>>>
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>>
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>
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