antedating (?) "Katy, bar the door" (1890)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

As it happens, I've just posted something on Language Log about
orthographic <r> in non-rhotic pronunciation spellings (specifically
<er> used to represent [@:]).

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/004985.html


On 10/3/07, Dennis R. Preston <preston at msu.edu> wrote:
> Wilson,
>
> It's very doubtful that this orthographic /r/ indicates a phonetic
> one. In reading the JC Harris stories, for example, folk who don't
> know southern speech interpret such things as Br'er Rabbit as BRY-er
> or some such silliness. We know, of course, that it is is "brother"
> (bruh) and that Harris was using the "r" to indicate vowel quality
> (usually wedge or lengthening, as in "bar" in your quote I think, or
> both).
>
> dInIs
>
> >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >-----------------------
> >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> >Subject:      Re: antedating (?) "Katy, bar the door" (1890)
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >"When she say that, hit's 'Katy, bar _ther_ do',' then, _fer_ she's
> >gwine _ter_ do it."
> >
> >I assume that the passage is a bit of eye-dialect BE.
> >
> >Therefore, FWIW, I note that shwa [I spell it this way because I
> >choose to] is replaced by shwa+r in this way in some fairly rare
> >dialects of BE to this day. A ninety-ish cousin of mine from down home
> >in Texas uses it and I've heard it used by the odd speaker/singer from
> >bluesman to hiphopper. It sounds rather strange, hearing someone use
> >an "r" where nobody else does, whereas the person doesn't use "r"
> >where the standard, at least, does use one.`
> >
> >-Wilson
> >
> >
> >On 10/3/07, Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at babel.ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
> >>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >>-----------------------
> >>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>  Poster:       Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>
> >>  Subject:      Re: antedating (?) "Katy, bar the door" (1890)
> >>
> >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >>  On 10/3/07, Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
> >>  >
> >>  > 1888 _Current Literature_ Dec. 499/1 When she say that, hits 'Katy,
> >>  > bar ther do, then, fer she's gwineter do it.
> >>  > [HNP Doc ID 229263831]
> >>
> >>  Sorry, missed some punctuation in there:
> >>
> >>  1888 _Current Literature_ Dec. 499/1 When she say that, hits 'Katy,
> >>  bar ther do', then, fer she's gwineter do it.
> >>
> >>
> >>  --Ben Zimmer
> >>
> >>  ------------------------------------------------------------
> >>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >>
> >
> >
> >--
> >All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
> >come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> >-----
> >                                               -Sam'l Clemens
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>
> --
> 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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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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