accusative cursing - phonemic, lexemic

[Tom Zurinskas]

So if one pronounces Dennis as ~dinis, is that a phonemic change from the
usual USA pronunciation of ~denis?  It does not change meaning so some would
say the difference is not "phonemic."  I would like to say that because
there is a change in phonemes, that it IS a phonemic change but not lexemic.
  Semantics?

Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL4+
See truespel.com and the 4 truespel books at authorhouse.com.





>From: Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: Re: accusative cursing
>Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 12:42:18 -0400
>
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>Subject:      Re: accusative cursing
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>At 12:09 PM -0400 4/11/07, Dennis R. Preston wrote:
> >This is the first time that I've run into a discussion whether a
> >purely phonological variant of a word makes it a non-word. Huh?
>
>This may hinge on the old issue of "word" = 'lexeme' vs. 'word-form'.
>What I was willing to concede is that we may want to call "naked" and
>"nekkid" different variants of the same word, where "word" =
>'lexeme'.  Are "with" [wIT] and "with" [wID] different words?
>Neither is a non-word, but that doesn't mean they're both (separate)
>words.
>
>
> >Does
> >that fact that most of you mispronounce my name (with the "bet"
> >vowel) make it a non-name?
>
>I don't think that would follow.  According to my characterization
>below, that would make [dEnis] a variant of your name rather than a
>separate name.
>
>LH
>
> >>---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >>-----------------------
> >>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> >>Subject:      Re: accusative cursing
> >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >>At 9:25 PM -0400 4/10/07, James C Stalker wrote:
> >>>Laurence Horn writes:
> >>>
> >>>>
> >>>>a.k.a. "nekkid"?
> >>>>
> >>>If you wish, but since it isn't a real word, who cares about the
>spelling?
> >>
> >>Not a real word?  "nekkid" has 822,000 raw google hits.  That doesn't
> >>necessarily make it a real word, but it does seem to suggest it's a
> >>real semi-standardized variant of one (cf. "purty", "nucular").  We
> >>need the double -k- in "nekkid" (rather than spelling it "nekid") to
> >>denote ['nEkId] rather than either ['nE(y)kId] (= the standard
> >>pronunciation of "naked") or ['nIkId] (the standard pronounciation of
> >>"knee-kid").
> >>
> >>LH
> >>
> >>>In part, I josh, but not wholly.  Are there conventional spellings for
> >>>conventionally unacceptable pronunciations in unacceptable dialects,
>except
> >>>maybe in DARE?  Why do we need the double k?  As with Wilson, musings
>rather
> >>>than real questions.
> >>>
> >>>JCS
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>James C. Stalker
> >>>Department of English
> >>>Michigan State University
> >>>
> >>>------------------------------------------------------------
> >>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >>
> >>------------------------------------------------------------
> >>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> >
> >--
> >It should be the chief aim of a university professor to exhibit
> >himself [sic] in his own true character - that is, as an ignorant man
> >thinking, actively utilizing his small share of knowledge. Alfred
> >North Whitehead
> >
> >Dennis R. Preston
> >University Distinguished Professor
> >Department of English
> >Morrill Hall 15-C
> >Michigan State University
> >East Lansing, MI 48824-1036 USA
> >Office: (517) 353-4736
> >Fax: (517) 353-3755
> >
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>
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