LL-L "Phonology=?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=8B=22_?=2013.04.17 (02) [EN]

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 L O W L A N D S - L - 17 April 2013 - Volume 02
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From: Paul Baronowsky <paulb1 at insightbb.com>
Subject: LL-L "Phonology" 2013.04.17 (01) [EN]

On 4/17/2013 6:35 PM, Ron F. Hahn wrote:

> What seems like a large percentage of American English speakers
> pronounces the word "beyond" like "be-ond" ([biˈʔɔnd], instead of
> like [biˈjɔnd]).


Hello all,

I have been subscribed to this list for a little more than a year, and this
is my first post. I may well be sorry for it later, since I am a dilettante
at best. If I am still welcome here afterwards, I may introduce myself
properly and explain why I enjoy reading the messages to this list so much.

It seems to me that [biˈʔɔnd] would be more difficult to pronounce than
[biˈjɔnd], and therefore less frequent. In progressing from the "i" sound,
with the back of tongue against the roof of the mouth, to the "o" sound,
with the tongue against the floor of the mouth, would not the "y" sound be
made automatically in the absence of a glottal stop? (Try saying "ia-ia-ia"
and see how the tongue moves.) Tightening the muscles of the throat to stop
the flow of air between "i" and "o" would take more energy.

I am not questioning Ron's perception of the pronunciation. Actually, I had
thought that I routinely said "be-ond", but when I listened to myself
saying it, I realized that I did not insert a glottal stop, and the
"i-(y)-o" was more like an automatic diphthong.

I realize that this is a sample of one, and therefore has no statistical
reliability.

MfG, Paul (Baronowsky)
Evansville, Indiana, USA; retired biochemist

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Phonology

Thank you very much for your response, Paul!

I'm sure that your  pronunciation of the word ([biˈɔnd]) is quite common
too, and I now assume that it historically preceded  [biˈʔɔnd], which I
hear in some people slower speech. The pronunciation [biˈɔnd] does not
"catch my ear" the way [biˈʔɔnd] does.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA


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