Beh-ril, burr'uhl, and burl

[Beverly Flanigan]

I missed the start of this, but I assume the word is "barrel"?  In which
case, maybe we have the near-merger Labov talks about in Philadelphia and
environs whereby Mary, merry, marry, and Murray all have the schwar sound
(i.e. rhyme with Murray)?  He has a perception test using Upper Merion and
"Murray in" as near-rhymes.  I've also heard 'were' and 'where' as
near-homophones, both with the 'Murray' sound.

Beverly

At 03:20 PM 7/21/2006, you wrote:
>I, of Salt Lake City but edjicated, say "berr'-uhl".
>
>
>
>--- "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET> wrote:
>
> > Do we have another "merry, Mary, marry"?  Various
> > television
> > personalities (are news readers and weather mappers
> > "personalities"?)
> > in the Northeast are saying
> >
> > beh-ril (like "trill")
> > burr'uhl (like "mull") --many speakers
> >     and
> > burl (as in Ives the folk singer)
> >
> > Are these regional?  (I, of New York City but
> > educated, say "beh-ril").
> >
> > Joel
> >
> >
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