aunt/ant

[Beverly Flanigan]

Oops, let's be careful when we talk about "backwoodsy" vs. "normal" rural
(whatever that means).  A very sophisticated grad student of mine from
Tennessee [tIn at si] spoke of his Aunt Jane using "ain't" [ent].  And the 'u'
in "aunt" isn't pronounced, is it?  Unless you're suggesting a diphthong in
"Auwnt Sadie"?  Rather, "aunt" is pronounced with the /a/ of "father,"
right?  (In fact, my father, a fussy old-timer, insisted on it; a
Minnesotan, he was taught by a New England schoolmarm who of course used
the /a/.  Minnesota is still divided in its pronunciation of this word, and
rural/urban, educated/uneducated, black/white, older/younger are not
determining factors, as far as I can tell.)

At 10:40 PM 9/28/2004, you wrote:
>Eh-yop, that's what I mean.
>
>I'm not all the way up on how to show pronunciation, bear with me.  Lots
>of folks around here pronounce the u in aunt as African-Americans do,
>while my Scots-Irish Blue Ridge background has me saying *ant*
>instead.  Not the really backwoodsy *aint*.  Mixed with the normal rural
>colloquial speech, the drawn out aunt sounds like an affectation to my
>ears.  "Dang, ain't them dogs uh Auwnt Sadie's mean?"
>
>I don't know, maybe they're just trying to be funny and I'm too
>gullible.  Perhaps I should make this burning question my life's work,
>huh?  LOL.
>Marsha
>
>   ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
>   Sender:       American Dialect Society
> <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>>
>   Poster:       Wilson Gray <wilson.gray at RCN.COM<mailto:wilson.gray at RCN.COM>>
>   Subject:      Re: /wh/ - /w/
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>   On Sep 28, 2004, at 9:42 PM, Dennis R. Preston wrote:
>
>   >
>   >> Rural-urban is indeed an important distinction
>   >> and now (finally) being paid attention to. I'm
>   >> bemused by the /ant/ (as opposed to /ænt/)
>   >> pronouncers in Oregon. Tell us more.
>   >
>   >
>   > dInis
>   >>
>   >
>
>   dInIs, I think that she means that "aunt" is pronounced as though
>   spelled "ant" and not that it's actually pronounced [ant]. Though I
>   could be wrong, of course.
>
>   -Wilson