/wh/ - /w/

[Dennis R. Preston]

Nothing strange. We've discussed this before on this list, and almost
all standard speakers (i.e., /hw-/w/ distinguishers) report the same
pattern - /hw/ in Q-why and /w/ in exclamatory-why. Certainly my
practice.

dInIs



>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
>>  >>
>>  >>
>>  >>


--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African Languages
A-740 Wells Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: (517) 432-3099
Fax: (517) 432-2736
preston at msu.edu