dot-calm

[Paul Johnston]

Bev,

Do you get poo-ish alongside poosh, or bru-ish (with caret) for brush
in your area?  Heard both from other Midlanders.

Paul Johnston
On Jan 2, 2007, at 5:33 PM, Beverly Flanigan wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OHIO.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: dot-calm
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>
> I just tested these words with a long-time native (age 50).  She
> definitely
> would not say 'mesh' as 'maysh', nor would she say 'bulge'  or
> 'mush' with
> /U/.  However, "mush" as breakfast food (with wedge) is a different
> lexical
> item than "mush" or "moosh" as a verb of squishing together; I've
> picked up
> the latter as distinct from the noun.
>
> --------------------
> Most SE Ohio speakers lack the open O/short o distinction, agreed;
> they
> choose the midpoint between them, as we've discussed here before (the
> "turned script 'a'" in IPA).  I heard 'John' said this way the
> other day;
> it took me by surprise, since I associate that pron. with 'Jon' but
> not
> 'John'  (probably idiosyncratically).  But "mush" = "good" is not
> so common
> here; "bulge" with /U/ is the shibboleth I listen for, and I don't
> usually
> hear it here.  'Poosh', 'feesh', and 'meyzure' are of course common
> here,
> as is 'spayshul'; I've not personally heard 'mesh' with /ey/ (not a
> common
> lexical item), but I'll test for it.
>
> Beverly
>
> At 01:41 PM 1/2/2007, you wrote:
>> For many speakers (like me) this is lexical; I have short e in
>> /trezhr/ (treasure) but /meyzhr/ (measure). In SE Ohio (and adjacent
>> areas), there is a better established rule, and it works as well for
>> the voiced palatal as the voiceless, 'measure' and 'mesh' are both
>> long, and for front and back vowels - fish is feesh,and push is
>> poosh. In the mid-back, the tense lax distinction is not as well
>> balanced, and there is considerable variation in the data I have seen
>> for truly lax wedge (mush) - but note "mush" with the vowel of
>> "good," often with a semantic distinction), funny lax open o
>> (caution), and tense o (motion). If wedge is "lax o," "much" should
>> be "mowsh" (but never is); "caution" as something higher and tenser
>> is, however, common. Course we're also dealing with some speakers who
>> lack an open o short o distinction, and that's part of this mix I
>> reckon.
>>
>> dInIs
>>
>>
>>
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>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>> Poster:       David Bergdahl <dlbrgdhl at GMAIL.COM>
>>> Subject:      Re: dot-calm
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>>> -----------
>>>
>>> On 1/2/07, Dennis R. Preston <preston at msu.edu> wrote:
>>>>
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>>>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>>  Poster:       "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU>
>>>>  Subject:      Re: dot-calm
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> ------------
>>>>
>>>>  This works only for people who incorrectly pronounce "measure"
>>>> with short
>>>>  e.
>>>>
>>>>  dInIs
>>>>
>>>>  This pronunciation does not, strangely, predict "special" =
>>>> "spacial"
>>> although I don't why it doesn't--tensing E before ZH seems a natural
>>> exension of E > e before SH!  Found throughout Ohio (help me w/
>>> this Bev)
>>> even in the north (E > e ____SH found mostly in our [Appalachian]
>>> part of
>>> the state)
>>>
>>> -David Bergdahl
>>> Athens, Ohio
>>>
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>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>> --
>> It should be the chief aim of a university professor to exhibit
>> himself in his own true character - that is, as an ignorant man [sic]
>> thinking, actively utilizing his small share of knowledge. Alfred
>> North Whitehead
>>
>> There are many different religions in this world, but if you look at
>> them carefully, you'll see that they all have one thing in common:
>> They were invented by a giant, superintelligent slug named Dennis.
>> Homer Simpson
>>
>> Dennis R. Preston
>> University Distinguished Professor
>> Department of English
>> 15-C Morrill Hall
>> Michigan State University
>> East Lansing, MI 48824-1036
>> Phone: (517) 353-4736
>> Fax: (517) 353-3755
>> preston at msu.edu
>>
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