No more the "awe" sound in USA

Mon Feb 3 15:50:41 UTC 2014

If the "awe" phoneme were dropped (always changed to "ah") you would pronounce the word "awe" just as the awe-dropping lady speaker of the word "awe" says at m-w.com.  Hear it below.http://www.merriam-webster.com/audio.php?file=awe00001&word=awe&text=%5C%CB%88o%CC%87%5C
I'm hearing the lady say "ah" here not awe, although the linguistic symbol given represents the "awe" sound.  The same with the word "dawn".  Here the "ah" phonetic symbol is given as an alternative, but I hear "Don".  http://www.merriam-webster.com/audio.php?file=dawn0001&word=dawn&text=%5C%CB%88do%CC%87n%2C%20%CB%88d%C3%A4n%5C
I remember as a kid noticing that the "awe" sound needed more mouth work to say correctly.  Switching to "ah" makes it easier to say, but changes pronunciation.  Not good.

Tom Zurinskas, Conn 20 yrs, Tenn 3, NJ 33, now Fl 9.
See how English spelling links to sounds at http://justpaste.it/ayk

 > ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: No more the "awe" sound in USA
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> I see the Hallmark channel today is featuring -- and refeaturing, and
> refeaturing, all day -- the "Kitten Bowl".  How will I be able to
> react vocally, if I am deprived of "aw"?  Or emotionally, if there is
> no longer "awe"?
> 
> Joel
> 
> At 2/2/2014 07:38 AM, Tom Zurinskas wrote:
> >Awe-dropping is pernicious.  I've even heard Dawn Zimmer call
> >herself Don.  The moderator of a group on MSNBC started off saying
> >Dawn ~Daun then when guests started saying "Don" ~Daan he ended up
> >doing it too.
> >It's pernicious.  It's psychological.   It's almost as though some
> >folks think the "awe" sound is not a nice sound and refuse to say
> >it.  It's beneath them. I think it's mainly with the ladies,
> >although that's contrary to their adoption of creaky voice sound,
> >which to me is a fake fad and not a nice sound.
> >Is it right to want to save the awe sound.  Some say no because it's
> >like going against nature and natural progression.  But is creaky
> >voice a natural progression.  Is it not right to care.  Or is it not
> >right to scoff at those who care.   There is no benefit I can
> >foresee for awe-dropping.  I'd certainly like to participate in any
> >way to save the "awe" phoneme.  But how?  By not overtly correcting
> >the mispronunciation, which nobody likes to do, is it condoning it;
> >Like the stupid fad of cigarette smoking in the past.
> >Tom Zurinskas, Conn 20 yrs, Tenn 3, NJ 33, now Fl 9.
> >See how English spelling links to sounds at http://justpaste.it/ayk
> >
> >
> >
> >  > ---------------------- 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: No more the "awe" sound in USA
> > >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > On Feb 1, 2014, at 6:08 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
> > >
> > > > It would be interesting to see if people without the cot/caught
> > merger adopt the merger pronunciation for "Seahawks" (and "hawk" in
> > general) as a result of the Superbowl.
> > > >
> > > > Benjamin Barrett
> > > > Formerly of Seattle, WA
> > >
> > > They won't get to me.  'Hawks they are and 'Hawks they will
> > remain, win or lose.
> > >
> > > But you can't go by me; I'll never even merge my Maries, marries,
> > and merries.
> > >
> > > LH
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Learn Ainu! https://sites.google.com/site/aynuitak1/videos
> > > >
> > > > On Feb 1, 2014, at 3:01 PM, Neal Whitman <nwhitman at AMERITECH.NET> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >> I was wondering how long it'd be before I read a message here
> > about the Seahocks and awe-dropping.
> > > >>
> > > >> Neal
> > > >>
> > > >>> On Feb 1, 2014, at 1:27 PM, Tom Zurinskas <truespel at HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Is the "awe" phoneme too far gone to save.
> > > >>> =20
> > > >>> The Super bowl team name is "Seahawks".  How many times do we
> > here "hocks" =
> > > >>> instead of "hawks".
> > > >>> =20
> > > >>> Her name is "Dawn Zimmer" regarding the NJ scandals.  How
> > many times do we =
> > > >>> here "Don" vs "Dawn".
> > > >
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> > >
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> >
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> 
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