Didn't as [dIdInt]

[Laurence Horn]

On Jun 24, 2014, at 8:06 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:

> At 6/24/2014 02:48 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> 
>> If I'm trying to reproduce the pronunciation of my grandfather, it's
>> "buyrl."
> 
> I meant his first name.
> 
> Joel

For me, that one is definitely of the co-articulated alveolar + glottal stop followed by syllabic "n" variety, because we knew him well and because the Milton was followed immediately by a clarifying Berle.  But I had a childhood friend named Milton Goldsmith who I would have referred to in speaking to those who didn't know him, especially if I was speaking on the phone, as "Mill-ton".  I think.  With JL's help, I'm beginning to doubt myself on this, but I'm sure about "Wilton", "Taunton", and "Downton". (The fact that "Downton" fails to rhyme with "fountain"/"mountain" for me may be partly attributable to the former's upper-crusted Britishness.

LH 
> 
> 
>> If not, not.
>> 
>> However, as a cranky geezer myself, I am tempted to adopt such
>> pronunciations out of sheer perversity. I never seem to get around to it,
>> though. Too hard to remember to do it.
>> 
>> JL
>> 
>> JL
>> 
>> 
>> On Tue, Jun 24, 2014 at 2:29 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>> 
>> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> > -----------------------
>> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>> > Subject:      Re: Didn't as [dIdInt]
>> >
>> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> >
>> > At 6/24/2014 11:00 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>> >
>> > > > the Abbey is "Down-ton".
>> > >
>> > >Not to me. None of your minimal pairs strike resounding chord in this
>> > house.
>> >
>> > I'm nearly identical with Larry, I think.  With some wavering.
>> > Tauton?  Tautin?  (for the town).
>> >
>> > Jon, how about Berle?  And spoken by someone more cultured than Mortimer.
>> >
>> > Joel
>> >
>> >
>> > >JL
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >On Tue, Jun 24, 2014 at 10:56 AM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
>> > >wrote:
>> > >
>> > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> > > > -----------------------
>> > > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> > > > Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>> > > > Subject:      Re: Didn't as [dIdInt]
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > >
>> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> > > >
>> > > > On Jun 24, 2014, at 9:29 AM, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>> > > >
>> > > > > At 6/24/2014 08:24 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>> > > > >> I've always done that syllabic thing with "Milton" because as a New
>> > =
>> > > > Yorker
>> > > > >> I do the same nasalized thing with "mountain" and "countin'."
>> > > > >=20
>> > > > > If I had had a childhood acquaintance in NYC, I might have called
>> > him =
>> > > > "Mil-tn".  But to me the poet and revered republican is "Mill-ton".
>> > > > >=20
>> > > > Nice minimal pair!  I'm not sure I consistently do that for the poet, =
>> > > > though.  I definitely contrast "Milton" (uncle) with "Will-ton"
>> > (Wilton, =
>> > > > CT), and "tauntin'" with "Taun-ton" (Mass.), and have the strong sense
>> > =
>> > > > that I'd reduce Wilton and Taunton if I lived in or near those towns, =
>> > > > but the poet could go either way.  I agree with JL on "mountain" and =
>> > > > "countin'", but the Abbey is "Down-ton".
>> > > >
>> > > > LH
>> > > >
>> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
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>> > > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >--
>> > >"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
>> > truth."
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>> >
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>> 
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> 
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