Yags and other onomastic peculiarities

[Alice Faber]

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
At 9:59 AM -0500 2/5/2001, Richard Coates wrote:


>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>The strategy of replacing the /r/ of a name truncated to end in /r/ with
>/z(@)/ isn't restricted to names with stressed /ae/ in the UK. I've heard:
>
>Jeremy > Jez
>Miriam > Miz
>Laurence > Loz (conflict, Larry!)
>
>The generalization seems to involve a short V in V1 position.
>
>It seems to be in competition with a much rarer tendency to replace the /r/
>with /l/, as in:
>
>Terence > Tel (unless restricted to football managers - I've heard Tez too)
>Derek > Del

I don't know how widespread this is, but how about Hal as a nickname for
Harold?

>Now I come to think of it, all the people I know so called are over about 55!
>Maybe there's an age factor.
>
>On the age front, when is the first /r/ > /z/ that people know of? I am aware
>of someone with the surname Harriman being called /haez@/ and another with the
>surname Farrar /faez/ around 1960-4.
--
Alice Faber                                       tel. (203) 865-6163
Haskins Laboratories                              fax  (203) 865-8963
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