[Lexicog] laxing before L

[R. Rankin]

Yes, I first heard it with /i/ also -- notably in the exclamation "Rilly"
(really), where the lax V was often quite prolonged.  The backer and lower
vowels seemed to come later but are quite definitely part of the phenomenon.
The earliest manifestations at my university were in the speech of urban,
caucasian, female students from Johnson County, Kansas, a set of well-to-do
suburbs of Kansas City, MO.  I'm sure it must have begun on the "left coast"
like most other such features.  I'm afraid I never watched TV shows like 90210,
but I suspect it may have been part of "valley girl speak" as stereotyped on
such shows.  And, as I said, it seems to be disappearing now.  Some
sociolinguist somewhere must have done something systematic with this in some
publication. . . .

Bob

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chaz and Helga Mortensen" <chaz_mortensen at sil.org>
To: <lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, July 23, 2004 6:15 PM
Subject: [Lexicog] laxing before L


> R.,
>
> I have noticed the pre-L laxing, too, but not with /u/. My daughter, age 6,
> has always said "rill". I have a 40-ish friend who always says "avellable"
> for "available".
>
> -Chaz



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