Aunt; was Re: "Authentic pronunciation" (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Jonathan Lighter]

Is there some objective reason why "vahz" came to be stigmatized? How and
when did the masses get the idea that "vahz" is a rebarbative affectation?

It's actually hard for me to remember to say "vayz" so as not to sound like
an insufferable snob. That must be why I had so few dates in high school.

"Vahz" is the sole pronunciation mentioned by the OED. Why the cover-up?

JL


On Wed, Oct 6, 2010 at 9:59 PM, Jocelyn Limpert
<jocelyn.limpert at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jocelyn Limpert <jocelyn.limpert at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Aunt; was Re: "Authentic pronunciation" (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I refuse to say "vahz," even though the rest of America thinks that's how
> it
> should be pronounced. ..to me, it's another affectation and people feeling
> it's the "proper" way for so-called "educated" people to speak.
>
> I should just wear earplugs!
>
> jl
>
> On Thu, Oct 7, 2010 at 5:47 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
> >wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: Aunt; was Re: "Authentic pronunciation" (UNCLASSIFIED)
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > I say /Ant/, but I also used to say "tomahto" like my grandparents until
> > Southerners ridiculed me out of it.  (I still say it in secret.)
> >
> > Their working-class backgrounds didn't keep them from saying "vahz"
> either.
> > But a putayto was a putayto.
> >
> > JL
> >
> > On Wed, Oct 6, 2010 at 9:30 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu
> > >wrote:
> >
> > > ---------------------- 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: Aunt; was Re: "Authentic pronunciation"
> (UNCLASSIFIED)
> > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > At 9:09 PM -0400 10/6/10, Barbara Need wrote:
> > > >I  was corrected by my fourth grade (MA) spelling teacher. I have just
> > > >moved from near Cleveland and said that we had gone out to visit my
> > > >[Ant] and she asked me if I meant the little black insect and I said
> > > >no, my mother's sister, and she said, you mean your [Ont] (low back
> > > >rounded vowel). Of course, I meant nothing of the sort. Just one more
> > > >contribution to my decision NOT to adopt the accent of the Northern
> > > >Shore.
> > > >
> > > >Barbara
> > >
> > >
> > > Hmph.  We New Yorkers never correct the ignorant folk who say "Mary"
> > > when they mean either 'cheerful' (as in greetings around Christmas
> > > time) or 'wed'.  But then we're known for our tolerance.
> > >
> > > LH
> > >
> > > >
> > > >Barbara Need
> > > >Ithaca
> > > >
> > > >On 5 Oct 2010, at 5:49 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > > >
> > > >>For a number of years, the preferred media pronunciation on both Fox
> > > >>and CNN
> > > >>seems to have been "Ont."
> > > >>
> > > >>One of those things I notice. I can't even tell you the last time I
> > > >>heard
> > > >>one of a leading telejournalists say "ant."
> > > >>
> > > >>As it was explained to me by a know-it-all some thirty-five years
> > > >>ago, "Ant"
> > > >>is "insulting because an ant is an insect and an Ont isn't."
> > > >>
> > > >>I couldn't argue with that logic. (Actually I could have but didn't
> > > >>want
> > > >>to be bothered.)
> > > >>
> > > >>JL
> > > >
> > > >------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org