positionality = "social status or position"

[Dennis R. Preston]

What evidence do we have that the casual pronunciation of 'w' as
"dubya" is Southern?

dInIs



>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
>Subject:      Re: positionality = "social status or position"
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>If we think of "w" as "double u" (which, of course, the public
>doesn't, especially in the "dubyu"-pronouncing South whose dialect a
>certain faux-Texan tries to imitate), then the spelling of the
>forename of the Atlanta Braves center fielder becomes interesting:
>ANDRUW Jones. As far as I know, Jones has not been nicknamed Tripyu.
>
>--Charlie
>_____________________________________________________________
>
>---- Original message ----
>>Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:56:39 -0400
>>From: Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>>
>>At 10:49 PM -0400 8/28/07, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
>>>On 8/28/07, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>   At 6:59 PM -0400 8/28/07, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
>>>>   >>
>>>>   >>  Yes, in a way it's surprising that hasn't turned into "Tridub" or
>>>>   >>  something similarly reduced by now.
>>>>   >
>>>>   >Well, there's "tripdub", apparently.
>>>>   >
>>>>   >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronunciation_of_%22www%22
>>>>
>>>>   I prefer "tridub".  "Tripdub" sounds too much like "tripped up", and
>>>>   I don't like the other options on that web site.  wuh wuh wuh?  dub
>>>>   dub dub?  no no no.  double-you cubed?  no thanks.
>>>
>>>I would've guessed "tripdub" was some hipster hybrid of triphop
>>>and dub music.
>>>
>>>Another possible expansion of "tripdub" is "triple double" (when a
>>>player reaches at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a
>>>basketball game):
>>
>>Exactly.  And those (unlike "www") are actually *called*
>>triple-doubles and hence constitute much more compelling candidates
>>for the reduction to "trip-dub".  Tridub or bust!
>>
>>LH
>>
>>>
>>>http://forums.sohh.com/showthread.php?t=524201
>>>http://www.sports-boards.net/forums/showthread.php?t=17359
>>>http://freedarko.blogspot.com/2005/11/certain-things-you-ought-to-know.html
>>>etc.
>>>
>>>
>>>--Ben Zimmer
>>>
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>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------
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>
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--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
15C Morrill Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-4736
preston at msu.edu

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