Can some native USA English speakers say "awe" or not

[Benjamin Barrett]

LOL!

Tom Zurinskas wrote:
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> Poster:       Tom Zurinskas <truespel at HOTMAIL.COM>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> So you must have said "body" instead of "bawdy" to be misunderstood by
> everyone, although you would swear you're saying "bawdy".
>
> Now if I said to you repeat exactly what I say, and I say words "body" and
> "bawdy" as in m-w.com, could you hear the difference.  If not then I assume
> you wouldn't say them differently either.  But if you could hear the
> difference, could you speak them as you heard them and not say "body" "body"
> because you can't speak what you heard.  I assume that if you hear the
> difference, you can speak it.  Like in singing.  If you can't hear the notes
> how can you sing them.
>
> Tom
>
>
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>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: Can some native USA English speakers say "awe" or not
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Sometimes I have similar thoughts, though opposite.
>>
>> One day I was in a room of sociolinguistics student and a SL professor
>> and made a reference to the "bawdy" language of Shakespeare. Every
>> single person thought I meant "body" despite the fact that "body
>> language" and 'bawdy language" have different stress patterns. And they
>> were in MY native dialect territory of Seattle; transplants, every one.
>>
>> Another way I have similar thoughts is my amazement when TV newscasters
>> can't pronounce the "t" in tsunami. But then I realize that just like I
>> can't pronounce that "awe" sound, they can't say syllable initial "ts".
>> I imagine they would have similar trouble pronouncing the "tl" in Tlingit.
>>

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