Didn't as [dIdInt]

Jonathan Lighter wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM
Tue Jun 24 12:24:25 UTC 2014


I've always done that syllabic thing with "Milton" because as a New Yorker
I do the same nasalized thing with "mountain" and "countin'."

And now that I think about it, I believe I've heard "didint" (or "dident"
or in between) mostly from my emphatic speaking, formerly pre-teen
granddaughter in a well-known mount'n state.

JL

JL


On Tue, Jun 24, 2014 at 7:59 AM, Charles C Doyle <cdoyle at uga.edu> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Charles C Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Didn't as [dIdInt]
>
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>
> =0A=
> =0A=
> I hear this a lot, especially among the young.=0A=
> =0A=
> Maybe a trend? In recent years, I've also noticed that young people often
> p=
> ronounce the (now) common forename Jordan with the final syllable [-dIn]
> or=
>  [-d at n] (probably actually a barred-I).  Could the awareness of spelling
> be=
>  a factor?=0A=
> =0A=
> Perhaps not dissimilar is the varied pronunciation of the name Milton.  I
> (=
> who am not young) regularly pronounce the final syllable as [-t at n],
> whereas=
>  many others just do that syllabic  [-n] thing.=0A=
> =0A=
> --Charlie=0A=
> ________________________________________=0A=
> =0A=
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter =0A=
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ----=0A=
> =0A=
> I've heard this only in very emphatic speech.  And not often.=0A=
> =0A=
> JL=0A=
> =0A=
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> =0A=
> =0A=
> On Mon, Jun 23, 2014 at 10:55 PM, Neal Whitman =0A=
> wrote:=0A=
> =0A=
> =0A=
> > My father sent me this message. I hadn't noticed this; has any of
> you?=0A=
> > He lives in Houston, Texas, and the person he reports on grew up in=0A=
> > Corpus Christi.=0A=
> >=0A=
> > Neal=0A=
> >=0A=
> >=0A=
> >     Hi Neal.=0A=
> >=0A=
> >     I?'d like to hear your commentary on something I have noticed a lot=
> =0A=
> >     lately.It annoys me to no end.Many people these days, at least=0A=
> >     around here and especially on TV (and [a guy he knows] does it)
> is=0A=
> >     to pronounce contractions like didn?t as didint, instead of the=0A=
> >     obvious ?did? followed by an ?nt? sound. Similarly they pronounce=0A=
> >     couldn?t as couldint and wouldn?t as woodint, etc.Is this a regional=
> =0A=
> >     thing?Or a dialect of some sort?Or is it bad grammar or diction
> or=0A=
> >     some affectation or just plain ignorance?How long have people
> been=0A=
> >     saying this, and what is its origin if you know?=0A=
> >=0A=
> >     Love,=0A=
> >=0A=
> >     Dad=
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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