Dialect split in original language?
sagehen
sagehen at WESTELCOM.COM
Tue Oct 10 16:34:30 UTC 2006
>Or Irish vs. Scotch? Or British vs. American (~ the American tendency to
>>move primary stress toward the front of words)?
>--Charlie
~~~~~~~~~~
I think it's really the other way around: I'm more aware of a strong
tendency to move the accent along in American speech, where the English
hang onto that initial accent. I remember an interview Barbara Frum, host
of "As It Happens"(CBC) back in the 70s & 80s, had with an English
traditionalist who was bemoaning the deterioration of British speech, in
particular allowing the accent to drift away from the initial syllable. I
think he saw it as an Americanization.
There was a time, half a century ago, when "pejorative" was pronounced with
the accent on the first syl. I think Sen Byrd & I are the only ones left
alive who still say it that way!
AM
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