LL-L "Phonology" 2005.06.25 (06) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 25.JUN.2005 (06) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Phonology

Ben Bloomgren:

> How do you know if you have a rhotic variety or not?

Jim Krause:

> What does the term rhotic
> accent refer to?  And what part or parts of the US typify this accent?
> The reason I ask, is because I'm fairly certain that I pronounce the r
> in surprise.  And I know I pronounce the first r in February.  I gew up
> in the state of Oregon, on the US west coast and now reside in Kansas
> right in the center of the country.  And I think I have heard both in
> both places.

Simply put, "rhotic" language varieties are those in which all "r"s at the 
ends of syllables "are sounded."  Examples of these are most American, 
Canadian and Irish English varieties.

"Non-rhotic" varieties are those that "drop the 'r'."  (In reality, they 
change an "r" at the end of a syllable into a vowel.)  Examples of these are 
most English varieties of England (including the "accents" of the Royals), 
Australian English, New Zealand English and many northeastern and 
southeastern English dialects of the United States (now fading away).

The name is based on _rho_, the name of the Greek letter <Ρ> _r_.

I always think of the Low Franconian (Dutch, Afrikaans, etc.) varieties as 
"thoroughly rhotic."  However, I now realize that this is oversimplified. 
This is the beauty of having projects like our anniversary display 
(http://www.lowlands-l.net/anniversary/) with some "phonetic" spelling and 
also sound files.

Recently, our Elsie translated the story into Garib/Griqua Afrikaans
(http://www.lowlands-l.net/anniversary/index.php?page=griekwa), and it turns 
out to be a basically non-rhotic variety of Afrikaans.

A couple of days ago, our Luc (Hellinckx) added a (very nicely done) sound 
recording to his Merchtem Brabantish translation
(http://www.lowlands-l.net/anniversary/index.php?page=brabants), and this, 
too, turns out to be non-rhotic.  Furthermore, like German and like most Low 
Saxon varieties of Germany, it has allophonic font-back distinction of both 
/x/ (<ch>) and /g/; e.g., _schuu_ [sCy:] 'shed', 'barn', _wach_ [wax] 
'wait', _begint_ [b@'jInt] 'begins', _ga_ [Ga:] 'go', _zég_ [zeC] 'say', 
_nog_ [nOx] 'still', 'yet'.

Pretty much all Low Saxon dialects of Germany are non-rhotic, by the way, 
and they have similar front-back distinction.  One major difference between 
them and Low Franconian varieties (including the ones of Germany) is that 
the former (like most English varieties) have voiceless consonant 
aspiration, while the latter do not (thus are similar to Romance varieties 
in this regard, also to some English dialects of Central and Northern 
England).

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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