LL-L: "Language varieties" LOWLANDS-L, 10.AUG.2000 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

 ======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 10.AUG.2000 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
 User's Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 Archive: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html>
 =======================================================================
 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic
 =======================================================================

From: john feather [johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk]
Subject: Language varieties

Some questions about American English.

1. The normal past tense of "fit" in AmE is "fit". In BE it is "fitted".
"Knit" can give "knit" or "knitted" in BE, depending on the context but AmE
seems to prefer "knit". I occasionally think I hear other cases where a "d"
is lost in the past tense (or past participle) in US TV shows and films - eg
"create" for "created" - but this may be due to poor diction or a noisy
soundtrack. So, is this a growing phenomenon? Are there regional or
social-class variations? Can one see it as a semi-strengthening of the verbs
(loss of a weak ending, though no vowel change)? (We discussed strengthening
a while ago.)

2. In Standard BE we pronounce "the" differently before vowels and
consonants. We pronounce "the elephant" as "theeyelephant" - the intensity
of the "y" sound depending on the speaker. Americans tend to say "th@
elephant", the length of the pause again depending on the speaker. Do I have
this right? Are there regional and social differences?

3. Has anybody ever tried to explain consonant shifts such as those in
Robert Mitchum's (I think in "Wings of War") "Naddlies gone tiddly" - ie
"Natalie's gone to Italy"? (The reduction of "to" to "t" before a vowel is
also interesting.

John Feather johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk

==================================END===================================
 You have received this because your account has been subscribed upon
 request. To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l"
 as message text from the same account to
 <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or sign off at
 <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 =======================================================================
 * Please submit contributions to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Contributions will be displayed unedited in digest form.
 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
   to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
   <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
   type of format, in your submissions
 =======================================================================