Pronunciation of can/can't

[Rudolph C Troike]

In response to Derrick Chapman's question, I don't have an answer for the
derivation of the pronunciation of AIN'T in British English (which
converges from HAVEN'T by dropping the initial /h/), but it is not
parallel to the pronunciation of CAN'T as /kaeynt/ or /keynt/ in the
Southern U.S., since that pronunciation is the result of a vowel change
of /ae/ before a Nasal + Voiceless Stop cluster, the same environment
which produces an /a/ in British English and Eastern New England.

        Rudy