Shine

[Wilson Gray]

On Aug 9, 2005, at 11:10 AM, sagehen wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       sagehen <sagehen at WESTELCOM.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Shine
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>
>> In St. Louis - well, during my childhood and youth there in the '40's,
>> the '50's, and the early '60's, at least - "shone" was pronounced
>> [SOn].
>>
>> -Wilson Gray
> ~~~~~~~~~~~
> If that /O/ is the o of "hot", this pronunciation seems to be standard
> in
> Canadian English.  I assume a UK effect.
> My own "shone" rhymes with "phone."
> AM
>

Yes, it's like the sound called "open o" and symbolized by a reversed
"c." There's little difference between "shone" and "Shawn."

I've stuck with the rhymes-with-phone pronunciation, myself. I learned
it in Texas and maintained it in St. Louis, because it coincides with
sE in both the Northern and the Southern varieties. Besides, there's
not much occasion for a kid to use "shone," hence no pressure from
other kids to use the "correct" pronunciation.

For those who haven't experienced it, there's pressure to conform to
the local dialect, even when the locals are consciously aware that
their dialect is non-standard. After living in St. Louis for about five
years, we went back to Texas. The locals were continually on my case as
to why I talked so "proppuh." I gave up and switched to the local
dialect. I was still pre-adolescent, so I was able to do that without a
lot of effort.

-Wilson Gray