FYI: linguistics in the news: case of the missing "t"

[Tom Zurinskas]

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There is one dictionary published a few years ago that recognizes the "alte=
red t" (e.g.=2C letter t spoken as a ~d or glottal stop).  That book is the=
 "Beginner's Dictionary of USA English: Truespel book 3=2C" (authorhouse.co=
m).  It recognizes the "altered t" as a secondary pronunciation in many wor=
ds.  It's based on the public domain VOA simplified English vocabulary dict=
ionary of about 1=2C500 words and adds a phonetic guide for the first time=
=2C which was lacking.  Thus=2C this truespel dictionary (USEnglish) is the=
 most accurate portrayal of standard media English pronunciation available=
=2C mostly because it spells out all schwas as well.
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I told another! world class linguist who has taken on the task of phonetica=
lly reflecting real accents that "altered t" must be recognized.  He said n=
o=2C "People won't like that."
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I've been listening to how people talk on TV. "Altered t" is everywhere.  J=
ust today I asked for the name of a company.  The man said "Hardco" ~Haardk=
oe.  I said spell that=2C He spelled "Hartco."  He's in NJ. =20
=20
It's everywhere.  Perhaps a shortcut or too lazy to pop that "t" with a fri=
c followin.  So "What is it you want" becomes ~~Wu' iz i' yue waan'~~  And =
the "n" in ~waan' is velar.

Tom Zurinskas=2C USA - CT20=2C TN3=2C NJ33=2C FL7+=20
see truespel.com phonetic spelling


 > Date: Wed=2C 4 Nov 2009 13:41:57 -0400
> From: laurence.horn at YALE.EDU
> Subject: Re: FYI: linguistics in the news: case of the missing "t"
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>=20
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------=
------
> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject: Re: FYI: linguistics in the news: case of the missing "t"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
------
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> At 10:13 AM -0800 11/4/09=2C James Smith wrote:
>>http://www.ksl.com/?nid=3D148&sid=3D8548383
>>
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> Funny--that's the shibboleth for Connecticut (e.g. around New
> Bri?ain) that we've discussed. It would help to have had someone
> with a bit more willingness to learn (if not actual expertise) to
> write the column=2C so that different environments for glottalized t
> might have been distinguished. I suspect=2C for example=2C that the
> "mow-en" transcription actually represents a nasalized diphthong
> followed immediately by a glottal stop=3B that wouldn't seem too exotic
> around these parts. I think I may pronounce it that way myself.
> (Could this really be pronouned with an oral diphthong=2C as in
> "Mao-in"?) And the author might have gone on to remark on the
> "missing d" in "No you di'nt"...
>=20
> LH
>=20
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>> decisively
>> |or slowly and cautiously.
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