Query: women > wimming

[Matthew Gordon]

I've noticed a similar phenomenon in the use of velar nasal in "given" (e.g.
Given our present situation...) within fairly formal speech contexts (e.g.
academic meetings).
In this case, of course, the velar pronunciation may be promoted in part by
a reanalysis of the word as "giving".


On 1/21/05 11:03 AM, "RonButters at AOL.COM" <RonButters at AOL.COM> wrote:

> I have a videotape from a 1961 press conference in which a Lake Charles, LA,
> sherriff pronounces "women" with a final velar nasal and then corrects
> himself. In general in this press conference, he pronounces "-ing" with a
> velar
> nasal, and there are other indications of formality as well.
>
> Am I right in concluding that the "wimming" pronunciation is a
> hypercorrection occassioned by the sherriff's self-conscious of the "-ing"
> pronunciation?