Websters dictionary mandates no "r" at the end of words

[Joel S. Berson]

At 9/29/2008 01:45 PM, Paul Johnston wrote:
>I don't know whether Noah Webster was non-rhotic (I don't think so),
>but tons of Americans born in his home state and YOURS are, Tom.
>They still can get an American passport if they come from, say,
>Putnam, CT.

But what about the zillions of Americans who are rhotic?  How can an
American edition of a dictionary say "-r is never pronounced at the
end of words but when a word ending in -r is followed by a vowel the
-r can be pronounced."?  I'm being given permission to pronounce r in
certain places, but not in others?

(For me, pa:k is a Korean politician; a dork is not a dock, etc.)

Joel



>On Sep 26, 2008, at 5:19 PM, Tom Zurinskas wrote:
>
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       Tom Zurinskas <truespel at HOTMAIL.COM>
>>Subject:      Websters dictionary mandates no "r" at the end of words
>>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>---------
>>
>>I've started collecting dictionaries=2C interested in the various
>>pronuncia=
>>tion guide notations. =20
>>=20
>>The Barnes and Noble "Webster's Student Dictionary - Newly Revised
>>Edition"=
>>  1999 says: "-r is never pronounced at the end of words=2C but when
>>a word =
>>ending in -r is followed by a vowel=2C the -r can be pronounced."
>>=20
>>Barnes and Noble is a USA company.  The book is said to be an
>>"American Edi=
>>tion".  However=2C the editor is Britisher P.H. Collin=2C which
>>explains th=
>>e "r" dropping.  The word color is spell colour.  Farm is /fa:m/.
>>The nota=
>>tion appears to be the English-unfriendly SAMPA=2C which is partly
>>a Britis=
>>h creation.  I can't replicate it here because of the special symbols.
>>=20
>>Apparently=2C Barnes and Noble purchased the rights to the British
>>dictiona=
>>ry from UK's Harrap Publishing and merely marketed it in USA with
>>minimal c=
>>hange.  Webster's it's not=2C and American it's not.  I hope they
>>corrected=
>>  these mistakes. =20
>>=20
>>Tom Zurinskas=2C USA - CT20=2C TN3=2C NJ33=2C FL5+See truespel.com
>>- and th=
>>e 4 truespel books plus "Occasional Poems" at authorhouse.com.=20
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