Surprise

[Laurence Horn]

>On Feb 17, 2009, at 10:15 AM, Alison Murie wrote:
>
>>
>>I've been noticing a strong tendency among (otherwise rhotic)
>>newsreaders & others on radio & tv to slight the first r in
>>"forward."  I probably do this myself in rapid speech, though in
>>deliberate or self-conscious  speech I would definitely sound the r.
>
>"forward" is on Nancy Hall's list.
>
>arnold
>
But I'll wager less likely in "foreword".  ("This book needs an
introduction or fo'word.")  Two factors:
(1) frequency (I still suggest, although more hesitantly in the light
of Arnold's previous observations); and
(2) the influence of "toward".  (Cf. the pronunciation of "covert" to
rhyme with "overt".)

After all, this one differs from most of the others in not having the
/r/ after an unstressed schwa or schwa-like vowel.   I wonder if the
/r/-less "Bernard"s are typically be(r)-NARD (as in Baruch) rather
than BE(R)-nard (as in Comrie).  (Or is that BE(R)-nud?)

LH

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