My limericks
Ivan S. Eubanks
ieubanks at pushkiniana.org
Thu May 31 16:21:45 UTC 2012
Thank you, Paul (if I may), your point is well-taken. I certainly do
not interpret the short "o" as a mark of illiteracy, and I apologize if
I gave that impression. In fact, I wouldn't dispute anything you've
said in general, and I've read enough of your posts on SEELANGS to have
developed a healthy respect for your opinions on linguistics. I do,
however, wonder whether the rounding before the intervocalic /r/ hasn't
already rendered "Horace" (with the same "o" as in "horse") as a
standard already for that particular word.
I think it has, although defining such standards is tough, and I will
defer to data that indicates one or another pronunciation is standard.
Meanwhile, to my ear Professor Townsend's limerick reflects a perfectly
acceptable and what I assume to be standard pronunciation of "Horace" in
American English.
Thanks for the reply,
Ivan S. Eubanks, Ph. D.
Editor
Pushkin Review
www.pushkiniana.org
On 5/31/12 7:35 PM, Paul B. Gallagher wrote:
> [overruling Dr. Eubanks' private Reply-To address as I think this will
> be of interest to the whole list]
>
> Ivan S. Eubanks wrote:
>
>> Concerning the short "o"--"HAriss" sounds like something Archie
>> Bunker would say were he to succumb to an apoplectic fit over "Ars
>> poetica" or "Exegi monumentum" (although I can also imagine his wife,
>> Edith, screaming it at the top of her lungs when he finally
>> frustrates her enough).
>
> You may well be right -- the character was supposed to be from New York.
>
> But the rendition of traditional "short o" as in "not" with /a/ in
> American English is so widespread that should not be misconstrued as a
> mark of illiteracy or some other affliction. To the contrary, it can
> be considered standard.
>
> For many Russians, who were taught British English, this may sound
> peculiar, but I assure you it is perfectly normal in America (what the
> Brits would call "bog standard"). Just listen to any TV evening news
> report.
>
> The position before intervocalic /r/ is exceptional in that a
> substantial number of Americans have rounding, so "Horace" has the
> same vowel as "horse." The prevalence of this feature is so great that
> it may well become our standard in a generation or two. But words like
> "not" will happily continue unrounded as they have for generations,
> and "father" will continue to rhyme perfectly with "bother."
>
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