'Bobonkt'

[Alice Faber]

Aha...consider two phenomena intersecting: the use of NG to represent
nasalization of a preceding vowel in borrowings from French, and final
devoicing in Appalachian English. That would leave just the "t" to
account for.

Seán Fitzpatrick wrote:
> Supposing that Mrs. Maxwell does run a general store and remembering that 14
> is not too old to be interested in candy, I suggest "bonbons".
>
> [H'mm.  I see the MS Office spell-checker also suggests "bonbon", plus
> bobbinet(s), "bayonet", and (why not?) "books".]
>
> Seán Fitzpatrick
> With an Iron Fist, We Will Lead Humanity to Happiness.
> over the gate at the Solovki Gulag camp
> http://www.logomachon.blogspot.com/
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Cohen, Gerald Leonard [mailto:gcohen at UMR.EDU]
> Sent: Monday, 10 July, 2006 09:52
> Subject: Re: 'Bobonkt'
>
> "Mrs. Maxwell's" sounds like a store, probably a general store.  And what
> could a 14-year old girl in Arkansas possibly want at a general store before
> going for a walk? Maybe something for what she might encounter along the
> way.  Say, birds. So (my WAG for the day): How about something (bird food?)
> in connection with the bobolink (a type of bird)?
>
> Gerald Cohen
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org


--
 =============================================================================
Alice Faber                                    faber at haskins.yale.edu
Haskins Laboratories                           tel: (203) 865-6163 x258
New Haven, CT 06511 USA                        fax (203) 865-8963

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org