Consonant Cluster Simplification is widespread

[Wilson Gray]

Don't know why, but WRIS' WATCH sounds, well, "uneducated" to me. I
checked with my wife and, when asked to name the kind of watch that's
not a pocket watch or a pendant watch, she spontaneously offered
WRIS_T_WATCH. Maybe the fact that /w/ is a glide and not a true
consonant comes into play for some speakers. Which is not to say that
I doubt the reality of WRIS' WATCH, having heard it zillions of times.

-Wilson

On Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 5:30 PM,  <RonButters at aol.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       RonButters at AOL.COM
> Subject:      Consonant Cluster Simplification is widespread
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Arnold is right that SAN' DOLLAR and WRIS' WATCH can be termed examples of=20
> "t/d deletion" in that they exhibit deletion of /t/ and /d/ respectively. I=20
> disagree that "t/d deletion" is a "standard term" any more than /k/ deletion=
>  is a=20
> "standard term." The "standard term" is Consonant Cluster=20
> Simplification--there is nothing special about /t/ and /d/ (except that the=20=
> deletion of /t/ occurs=20
> in the change of "n't" to "n'") and nothing special about /d/ at all. To say=
> =20
> that the loss of /d/ in "find" is an example of "t/d deletion" is not much=20
> more informative than to say that the loss of /d/ in "find" is an example of=
>  "d=20
> deletion." Indeed, it is less so, since /t/ has nothing to do with the loss=20=
> of=20
> /d/ in "find".
>
> True, one can find (e.g., with a Google search) lots of variationist studies=
> =20
> that look exclusively at the deletion of /t/ and /d/. Many of these are=20
> narrowed-down studies final consonant cluster simplification. Many are not (=
> e.g.,=20
> some are about medial deletions).=20
>
> Consonant-cluster simplification as a phenomenon is more frequently studied=20
> than the deletion of /t/ and /d/ of whatever sort. I'm a little puzzled at=20
> Arnold's assertion that ING is one of the most studied variables--it certain=
> ly is=20
> an important one (though it is less complex than many of the oft-mentioned=20
> phonological variables), but my sense is that it is less important in=20
> variationist studies than CCS or a number of other variables, e.g. /r/-delet=
> ion, "pin/pen=20
> merger," "u-fronting," "u-fronting," "cot/caught merger," and loss of the=20
> offglide in diphthongs. Copula deletion and other manifestations of the copu=
> la=20
> are perhaps the most-frequently studied vartiationist variables, along with=20=
> the=20
> manifestations of the agreement morpheme, the possessive morpheme, and the=20
> 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:
>>=20
>> > 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."
>>=20
>> "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).=A0 T/D and
>> ING are the most studied variables in english in the variationist
>> framework; there's a huge literature on both.
>>=20
>> arnold
>>=20
>
>
>
>
> **************
> Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog,=20
> plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com.
>     =20
> (http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=3Daolsty00050000000014)
>
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