minimal pairs

[Max Wheeler]

> From: "petegray" <petegray at btinternet.com>
> Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 17:47:00 +0100
> Subject: Re: minimal pairs (was: PIE e/o Ablaut)

> A thought:  If an English speaker is presented with a new word pronounced
> with /V:dh/ at the end, does she or he hear it as a verb?   And would he or
> she make the similar form ending /Vth/ into the corresponding noun?

> Apart from wild guesses, does anyone happen to know of any evidence?

Scythe? Lathe? Booth? Swathe? Tithe? Hythe (placename)? Blyth (placename)?
These old words perhaps undermine the hypothesis.

I believe all /-Vth/ words are non-verbs (unless you include "hath", "doth"),
and nearly all are nouns (but for "with" in some dialects).

Max
____________________________________________________________
Max W. Wheeler
School of Cognitive & Computing Sciences
University of Sussex
Falmer
BRIGHTON BN1 9QH, G.B.

Tel: +44 (0)1273 678975 Fax: +44 (0)1273 671320 Email: maxw at cogs.susx.ac.uk
____________________________________________________________