lawyer/liar confluence

Charles Doyle cdoyle at UGA.EDU
Wed Apr 16 13:54:07 UTC 2008


"Lawyer is to be pronounced _Lyer_ as is common now in some counties"--John Harland,_A Glossary of Words Used in Swaledale [etc.]_ (English Dialect Society, vol. 4 [1870]: 75).

The confluence occured with some frequency in satiric epigrams and dramatic repartee of the 17th century.

--Charlie
_____________________________________________________________

---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:22:44 -0700
>From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>
>
>Several female members of the polygamous Texas sect appeared on Fox & Friends earlier today. One spoke of being unable to see a "lawyer," but the stressed vowel was so unrounded that the word was virtually identical to a Texas pronunciation of "liar." At first, that's what I thought she said.
>
>  The woman's phonology was otherwise unremarkable,
>
>  I wouldn't go so far as to call this homophony "phonological justice," but it comes close.
>
>  JL

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list