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

[Beverly Flanigan]

At 05:41 AM 10/27/2006, you wrote:
>Tom Zurinskas wrote:
>> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>> > Poster:       Tom Zurinskas <truespel at HOTMAIL.COM>
>> >
>>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> >
>> > I believe awe-droppers as native born American English speakers can hear
>>the
>> > sound "awe" and they can say the sound "awe".  They just don't like the
>> > sound "awe" nor forming it in their mouths when they talk.  They may
>>llive
>> > in an area were "awe" is dropped and they don't use it much.
>
>There's no problem in production--people in the area of the merger can hear
>the "far/for" difference and can produce "for" which contains the "aw"
>vowel; many do--however--tell me that it's a "long o" although to my ears
>"foe" and "for" are distinct.
>-db
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

Dave, are you speaking of the Utah/Missouri merger of /a/ and
/O/?  Actually, it's a near-merger, if I recall David Bowie's research
correctly, which is why native users can hear the subtle difference though
outsiders can't.  But isn't this a merger toward /O/ = awe rather than
toward /a/ = ah? (David?)  Once again, I suppose Tom would say these should
be kept distinct with no problem. . . .

But to claim that "they just don't like the sound 'awe' nor forming it in
their mouths when they talk" is just ridiculous.

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