Michelle Obama's anticipatory retroflexion

[ronbutters at AOL.COM]

It was very pronounced. Bizarre as it may seem, this was also a feature of Jesse Helms' speech. I have always thought of it as a characteristic of the speech of white males from the South.

Is it really best described as "retroflexion" or just "retraction" to the /S/ of "sheep"? (i.e., positioning for the following /t/)

------Original Message------
From: Herb Stahlke
Sender:
To: ADS-L
ReplyTo: ADS-L
Sent: Aug 25, 2008 11:46 PM
Subject: [ADS-L] Michelle Obama's anticipatory retroflexion

I noticed stronger and more consistent anticipatory retroflex
assimilation in Michelle Obama's speech tonight that I've heard
anywhere before.  All cases I noticed of initial /str/ clusters
retroflexed the /s/.  In at least one case I heard "was strengthened"
with retroflexion extending to the lenis alveolar fricative of "was."
Perseverative retroflexion is common:  Ladefoged gives the example of
"hardened" in which the /dnd/ is all retroflexed.  But anticipatory
retroflexion isn't so wide-spread.  Does anyone know the dialect
distribution of this feature?

Herb

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