Return of the minimal pairs

[Larry Trask]

--On Sunday, May 20, 2001 6:11 am -0400 "Douglas G. Wilson"
<douglas at nb.net> wrote:

> Just a footnote, not intended to invalidate the point about initial /D/.

> Are there "non-grammatical" English words beginning with /D/?

> I will take as a working definition of "English word": "any word which
> appears in a conventional English-language dictionary, excluding proper
> names". I also exclude pronunciations which are designated as foreign, if
> an alternative "English" pronunciation is given.

> I find two:

> "dhal" /Dal/ (an Arabic letter);

> "duinhewassel" /DIn at was@l/ (a Scots designation of minor nobility, variant
> of "duniewassal").

> Marginal examples, true ... slightly better perhaps than the imaginary
> river dhelta.

Ah, splendid, and many thanks.  These words are not in my desk dictionary,
and I didn't know them -- and me a Scrabble-player, too.  I happen to know
that 'dhal' is legal in British tournament Scrabble in another sense.  I
don't know if the second is, but I don't suppose I'll ever get a chance to
play it anyway.  Can't recall the last time I played a 12-letter word.

Larry Trask
COGS
University of Sussex
Brighton BN1 9QH
UK

larryt at cogs.susx.ac.uk

Tel: (01273)-678693 (from UK); +44-1273-678693 (from abroad)
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