Fiji zigaboo---(role of "Igbo" tribe?)

[Charles Doyle]

I meant that comment as a little joke! Yes, I know about the probable pronunciation of "igland" but not about that of "Igbo" (though Larry's note has shed a glimmer of light on the matter).

--Charlie
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---- Original message ----
>Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2007 13:24:15 -0400
>From: "Mark A. Mandel" <mamandel at LDC.UPENN.EDU>
>Subject: Re: Fiji zigaboo---(role of "Igbo" tribe?)
>
>Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU> said:
>
>I've often wondered whether the apparent change in pronunciation represented by "Igbo" > "Ibo" replicates the process that altered OE "igland" ('island') to "iland."
> <<<
>
>That wasn't "igl" as in "igloo". In layman's language: the "g" was pronounced something like a modern "y" after "e" or "i", so it was more like "eeland". then the Great Vowel Shift changed the "ee" to what we call "long I", and here we are with /'ayl at nd/.
>
>Mark Mandel
>

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