/wh/ - /w/

[Lesa Dill]

I've always done something strange with some [hw]/[w] distinctions.  I
have two words--one with [hw] for why and one with [w].  The first is
a question, the second an exclamation as in "Why, lordy, what do ya'll
mean?"  I remember once talking about this in class to a group of wide-
eyed linguistic students who always seemed to be wide-eyed about
language use.  Now I can explain that particular reaction on that
particular occasion.

Lesa
On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 15:31:08 -0400
 "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU> wrote:
> >The poshness of /hw/-/w/ is odd to me too (since I had it nateral as
> >a kid), but I came to learn later that many thought of it as a swell
> >form (and have been teased mercilessly by my Milwaukee wife, who
> >also mocks my /a/nvelope, /ku/pon, and pa/ja/mas).
>
> dInIs
>
>
>
>
>
> >Interesting. I would never consider the /hw/-/w/ distinction
> >elitist. Exactly the opposite, in fact.  I associate it with very
> >old or rural people.  For the most part, it's pretty much dead here
> >in Oregon, exept from the two groups I mentioned above.  Almost none
> >of my students makes it and most of them don't even have any idea
> >what I am talking about when we discuss it.
> >Fritz
> >>>>  sod at LOUISIANA.EDU 09/28/04 07:55AM >>>
> >I seem to regularly make the /hw/-/w/ distinction without
> >even realizing it until my mortified middle-school-aged
> >daughter cringes and criticizes me for speaking like an
> >elitist...
> >
> >sally donlon
> >(on the Third Coast in way South Louisiana)
> >
> >
> >
> >Dennis R. Preston wrote:
> >
> >>  My nephews and nieces have also lost the good old
Louisville /hw/ -
> >>  /w/ distinction, which was never mentioned in school in my day.
Its
> >>  disappearance must have been being noticed (oh lovely verbal
string!)
> >>  by the guardians of the local tongue.
> >>
> >>  Bowman Field! What a blast from the past!
> >>
> >>  dInIs
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>  In a message dated  Mon, 27 Sep 2004 13:27:40 -0400,
> >>>   "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU> writes:
> >>>
> >>>>    Look like the old /hw/-/w/ jumped up. It bit me the other
day. I was
> >>>>    out in the garden working and bitching and carrying on about
how hard
> >>>>    I had it, etc... My neighbor said " You want some cheese and
crackers
> >>>>    to go  with that wine." Luckily my pragmatic organizer took
over, and
> >>>>    I had to figure out why what he said make sense. Finally, of
course,
> >>>>    I got to his "wine" - "whine" homophony.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>  It's an old Jewish joke:
> >>>       What's a JAP's (Jewish-American Princess's) favorite wine?
> >>>       "Why can't we go to Miami this year?"
> >>>
> >>>  I pronounce "wh" as /w/ and don't even hear /hw/ when someone
uses
> >>>  it.  I do
> >>>  remember elementary school teachers trying to teach us
that "wh" is
> >>>  pronounced
> >>>  /hw/ but I don't recall any of my classmates taking this
seriously.
> >>>
> >>>  Born and raised in the "Highlands" (East End) section of
Louisville, near
> >>>  Bowman Field.
> >>>
> >>>        - Jim Landau
> >>
> >>
> >>