[hw-] v. [w]

[Dennis R. Preston]

Scot,

It's not environmental; it's lexical

which vs. witch
when vs. win (in correct English)
whine vs. wine
whit vs. wit
where vs. wear
why vs. "y"
etc...

dInIs

>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM>
>Subject:      Re: [hw-] v. [w]
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Fortunately I know what ICBMs are, having grown up during the end of the
>Cold War. I still remember the fear of "The Day After."
>
>BTW, I think I missed it earlier, but in what phonological environments does
>this (what exactly is it called) occur?
>
>Scot
>
>
>>From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>Subject: Re: [hw-] v. [w]
>>Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:06:42 -0700
>>
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>>Subject:      Re: [hw-] v. [w]
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>When I was growing up we had better things to worry about than saying
>>/hw-/. Like ICBMs and getting the Yankees to win the World Series every
>>year forever.  (I'll bet you young folks think "ICBM" is just some kind of
>>scatological joke, but never mind that.) It wasn't till college, with a man
>>in the White House who wasn't afraid to say, "I am not a crook," that I was
>>taught there were people in my America who actually said /hw-/. All day
>>long.  And expected to keep right on saying it.
>>
>>    They actually distinguished between "which" and "witch" like spelling
>>wasn't good enough for 'em.  Well, it took a while for yours truly to come
>>to terms with this.  Until I did, I was as tongue-tied as young Scotty
>>here.
>>
>>    But it's like those Old Englishmen with words like "hnaef" and
>>"Wealhtheow." They expected to keep right on saying them.
>>
>>    We'll see who laughs last on this one too.
>>
>>    JL
>>Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>    ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>Sender: American Dialect Society
>>Poster: Scot LaFaive
>>Subject: Re: [hw-] v. [w]
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>I don't have an [h] anywhere near my [w]'s (Wisconsin dialect), so I don't
>>even know what this sounds like. Any good sound files for this?
>>
>>Scot
>>
>>
>>  >From: sagehen
>>  >Reply-To: American Dialect Society
>>  >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>  >Subject: Re: [hw-] v. [w]
>>  >Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 11:27:55 -0400
>>  >
>>  >---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  >-----------------------
>>  >Sender: American Dialect Society
>>  >Poster: sagehen
>>  >Subject: Re: [hw-] v. [w]
>>  >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >
>>  > >I still contend it is -wh- , not -hw-, the -w- being a
>>  > >vowel (hence its name, double u), unstressed, often
>>  > >unvoiced, before the -h-. .]
>>  > >
>>  > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>  >See, or more to the point listen to, Flanders & Swann: " I'm a Gnu".
>>  >
>>  > > [I do not put an -h- in -weird-, there is no -h- in -weird-, it's
>>  > >pronounced >(ou)eared.
>>  >
>>  >This was, of course, a joke.
>>  >
>>  >Back to [hw-] v. [w] in general, do non-hw speakers carry this even to
>>the
>>  >word "whistle?"
>>  >AM
>>  >
>>  >~@:> ~@:> ~@:> ~@:>
>>  >
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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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