r --> z

[Charles Doyle]

And perhaps "Maisie" for "Margaret" (though there may be a sibilant lurking historically behind that "-g-").

--Charlie
__________________________________________________

---- Original message ----
>Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2006 12:10:23 -0400
>From: Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
>Subject: Re: r --> z
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
>
>In American English, Charleses are sometimes called "Chaz," but I've always assumed that that nickname is based on the orthographic abbreviation "Chas."
>
>--Charlie
>_______________________________________________
>
>---- Original message ----
>>Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2006 16:10:04 +0100
>>From: Lynne Murphy <m.l.murphy at SUSSEX.AC.UK>
>>Subject: r --> z
>>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>
>>Is it common for /r/ to change to [z]?
>>
>>I'm wondering about a set of UK/Australian nicknames:
>>
>>Barry --> Bazza
>>Sharon/Sharapova --> Shazza (also Shazzer)
>>Maurice --> Mozza  (and more famously, Morrissey-->Mozza)
>>Boris --> Bozza
>>Charles/Charlotte --> Chazza
>>Antony Worrall Thompson --> Wozza
>>Gary --> Gazza
>>Cheryl/Cherie/Sheryl --> Chezza/Shezza
>>
>>(stole several of these from the Wikipedia article on 'Zza nicknames':http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zza_nicknames.)
>>
>>Other famous ones involve some kind of sibilant at the start of the reduced syllable:
>
>>Heseltine --> Hezza
>>Prescott --> Prezza
>>Gascoigne --> Gazza
>>
>>The only one in the Wikipedia article that doesn't follow one of these patterns was Gavin-->Gazza, but we can assume that he's only Gazza because he was dating a Chazza.
>>
>>Any explanation for why -zza would be what the r-starting syllable would be 'weakened' to?  (I'm obviously no phonetician, though I have played one in first-year lectures.)  I suppose the tongue is in the same neighbourhood and  both r and z are voiced, but do similar things happen in other contexts?
>>
>>Lynne

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