silent letters (was broadcasters)

[sagehen]

Thank you for letting me down lightly on this.  I only realized too late,
as the Popeye sound emerged from the silt of memory, what B. Haas intended
by his query.  -AM

Beverly Flanigan  wrote:
>I also say AI at RN (actually with Canadian/Minnesota raising to [^y at rn]), but
>I think Haas is referring to syllable-initial /r/, as in
>[ayr at n].  Hypercorrecting newscasters in southern Ohio pronounce the name
>of Ironton, an Ohio River town, as [ayr at nt@n]--I suspect to sound "better"
>than the locals who say [arn?@n] and [arn] (as Don Lance noted).  (? =
>glottal stop)
>
>At 12:04 PM 8/10/00 -0400, you wrote:
>>  Bob Haas  writes:
>> >Not for Popeye.  Has anyone out there ever encountered anyone who
>>pronounces
>> >"iron" with two syllables like the cartoon character?
>>
>>Has anyone NOT heard AI @RN  ('eye-ern)?  I've heard this pronunciation all
>>my life, and use it myself.  I've lived in the Pac NW, West Coast, Midwest
>>& Northeast.
>>The New Century Dict., Webster's New International,&  OED all give /iron/
>>two syllables.  (OED leaves out the r sound, of course.)
>>A.Murie
>
>
>_____________________________________________
>Beverly Olson Flanigan         Department of Linguistics
>Ohio University                     Athens, OH  45701
>Ph.: (740) 593-4568              Fax: (740) 593-2967
>http://www.cats.ohiou.edu/linguistics/dept/flanigan.htm