Ash-tensing in *ANAE* (was: The duration of /ae/ and /ai/)

[David Bowie]

From:    Damien Hall <halldj at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>

> No, they didn't ignore that.  As far as I'm aware, none of Labov's work on the
> quality of any vowel analyses unstressed tokens, for that very reason.  For
> this particular case, I've actually written (under his direction) formal tests
> to measure ash-tensing in that very word, and the approved sentences were as
> follows:

> - It's very difficult to get a good cheesesteak, but at _________ you can.
> - These days, Coke cans are made of __________.

> So, stressed tokens of *can* (n.) and *can* (v.).

How did you make sure that the final verb was stressed? It took me a
couple readings to realize that you can say the first sentence without
heavy stress on the blank, with stress trailing off after that. (You
know, "...but at *Pat's* you can.")

Or is north of Baltimore (your subjects) that different from south of
Baltimore (me) even in prosodic sorts of things?

<snip>

--
David Bowie                               University of Central Florida
     Jeanne's Two Laws of Chocolate: If there is no chocolate in the
     house, there is too little; some must be purchased. If there is
     chocolate in the house, there is too much; it must be consumed.

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