Consonant Cluster Simplification is widespread

[RonButters at AOL.COM]

Arnold is right that SAN' DOLLAR and WRIS' WATCH can be termed examples of 
"t/d deletion" in that they exhibit deletion of /t/ and /d/ respectively. I 
disagree that "t/d deletion" is a "standard term" any more than /k/ deletion is a 
"standard term." The "standard term" is Consonant Cluster 
Simplification--there is nothing special about /t/ and /d/ (except that the deletion of /t/ occurs 
in the change of "n't" to "n'") and nothing special about /d/ at all. To say 
that the loss of /d/ in "find" is an example of "t/d deletion" is not much 
more informative than to say that the loss of /d/ in "find" is an example of "d 
deletion." Indeed, it is less so, since /t/ has nothing to do with the loss of 
/d/ in "find".

True, one can find (e.g., with a Google search) lots of variationist studies 
that look exclusively at the deletion of /t/ and /d/. Many of these are 
narrowed-down studies final consonant cluster simplification. Many are not (e.g., 
some are about medial deletions). 

Consonant-cluster simplification as a phenomenon is more frequently studied 
than the deletion of /t/ and /d/ of whatever sort. I'm a little puzzled at 
Arnold's assertion that ING is one of the most studied variables--it certainly is 
an important one (though it is less complex than many of the oft-mentioned 
phonological variables), but my sense is that it is less important in 
variationist studies than CCS or a number of other variables, e.g. /r/-deletion, "pin/pen 
merger," "u-fronting," "u-fronting," "cot/caught merger," and loss of the 
offglide in diphthongs. Copula deletion and other manifestations of the copula 
are perhaps the most-frequently studied vartiationist variables, along with the 
manifestations of the agreement morpheme, the possessive morpheme, and the 
plural morpheme.


In a message dated 9/5/08 3:07:05 PM, zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU writes:


> On Sep 5, 2008, at 11:33 AM, Ron Butters wrote:
> 
> > What Arnold meant by "t/d deletion" is not clear: "t deletion" takes
> > place
> > when "n't" becomes "n'", but "d deletion" is simply a part of CCS.
> > Unless I'm
> > mistaken, there is no such thing as "t/d deletion" as such, so it
> > could not very
> > well be "widespread."
> 
> "t/d deletion" is a standard term in variationist studies of english
> -- for the subcases of final consonant cluster simplification that
> involve final t and d (as in WRIS' WATCH and SAN' DOLLAR).  T/D and
> ING are the most studied variables in english in the variationist
> framework; there's a huge literature on both.
> 
> arnold
> 




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