BURR-Y is not 'non-standard' (was Eggcorn?)

[Charles Doyle]

It should be mentioned that vowels before /r/, historically, have been flexible. The spelling "murie" for "merry" was very prevalent through the 14th century (alternating with "myrie" and "mirie"). About the time of the GVS (though not necessarily because of it!), the spelling "merry" gained prominence and eventually predominated. Now we have the famous "merry"/"Mary"/"marry" paradigm; ARE there speakers who might add "Murray" to the mix??

"Ber(r)y" for "burrow" surivived into the 17th century. Do those who make the "bury"/"berry" distinction do so for the stress-reduced syllables in "Canterbury" vs. "loganberry"?

--Charlie
_____________________________________________________


---- Original message ----
>Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 07:43:52 EST
>From: RonButters at AOL.COM
>Subject: BURR-Y is not 'non-standard' (was Eggcorn?)
>
>In a message dated 2/15/07 1:35:30 PM, zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU writes:
>
>> a footnote: i pronounce "bury" to rhyme with "curry" rather than "Terry" -- yes, i know this is non-standard . . . .

>>
>The "curry" pronunciation is certainly not "non-standard" in those regions where it is standard. That is to say, this is a regionalism, and in such respectable places as New Jersey the most educated of speakers pronounce BURY as if it were etymologically related to Aaron Burr.
>
>Are there any words other than BURY that are spelled -UR- but have the -E- vowel in any standard variety of American English? It seems to me that the ''berry'' pronunciation of BURY is the excentric one, spellingwise. FURY HURRY MURRY JURY as well as CURRY ...

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