hoarse-horse

[Peter A. McGraw]

--On Friday, July 23, 2004 9:15 AM -0700 "Arnold M. Zwicky"
<zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU> wrote:

> On Jul 22, 2004, at 4:10 PM, Peter A. McGraw wrote:
>
>> And now we're REALLY talking about the Decline of Western
>> Civilization...
>>
>> --On Thursday, July 22, 2004 6:52 PM -0400 "Dennis R. Preston"
>> <preston at MSU.EDU> wrote:
>>
>>> PPS: hw-w is another fading Louisville distinction.
>
> last night i heard a BBC news report about whaling ships, with
> "whaling" pronounced with a [w]; i kept hearing it as "wailing ships"
> (the Flying Dutchman, maybe).  i should know by now that the
> distinction is rapidly fading in the u.k., but i keep expecting to hear
> it in people who are otherwise RP speakers (as this newsreader was).
>
> here in the u.s., i'm pleased when a [hw] goes by, but i don't really
> expect it.
>
> arnold (zwicky at csli.stanford.edu)

Indeed.  The Decline of Western Civilization is well advanced.

PMc

*****************************************************************
Peter A. McGraw       Linfield College        McMinnville, Oregon
******************* pmcgraw at linfield.edu ************************