Pronouncing Wisconsin

[Beverly Flanigan]

I suspect this is so.  Down here in Ohio I'm laughed at for saying
wI-skan-s at n, but as a native-neighbor Minnesotan, I know I'm right!  The
old but still good "American Tongues" mocks the Wisconsinites too, with the
outsider saying that in wIs-kan-s at n they all "sound Norwegian."

Beverly

At 04:15 PM 12/21/2006, you wrote:
>If you mean "this is odd" as in the commercials are pronouncing the /k/
>sound, then I would agree. But I've always assumed it an indicator of the
>speaker's non-native status (for WI) and that some of these commercials are
>probably produced out of state.
>
>Scot
>
>
>>From: "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU>
>>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>Subject: Re: Pronouncing Wisconsin
>>Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 15:51:21 -0500
>>
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU>
>>Subject:      Re: Pronouncing Wisconsin
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>This is odd. My first impression (on going to Wisconsin for graduate
>>studies n the 12th C., was that Wisconsonites (i.e. Cheeseheads)
>>clearly divided the syllbales differently. I said wIs - kan - s at n;
>>they all said wI - skan - s at n.
>>
>>dInIs
>>
>>
>>
>> >---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> >-----------------------
>> >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> >Poster:       Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM>
>> >Subject:      Pronouncing Wisconsin
>> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> -------
>> >
>> >I've noticed lately that many commercials played in Wisconsin seem to
>>have
>> >people clearly pronouncing the /k/ sound in the second syllable, and it
>> >sounds odd to me. From what I gather from 31 years in Wisconsin, it seems
>> >that natives generally don't clearly pronounce the /k/; I think we tend
>>to
>> >voice it as /g/, but I may be wrong in my analysis (my ears don't
>> >distinguish so well, the lazy fools). Just curious if anyone else has
>> >noticed this or can confirm or correct me.
>> >
>> >Scot
>> >
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>>
>>--
>>Dennis R. Preston
>>University Distinguished Professor
>>Department of English
>>15C Morrill Hall
>>Michigan State University
>>East Lansing, MI 48824
>>517-353-4736
>>preston at msu.edu
>>
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