Re: THEORY: free variation [was: Re: [OT] Re: Conlangea Dreaming]

>From: Adrian Morgan <morg0072@...>
>Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 15:50:13 +0930
>
>Marcus Smith wrote:
>
> > Why go all the way to Shoshoni? We have examples of it in English as
> > well. For instance, "envelope" can be pronounced as [Env@lop] or
> > [anv@lop].
>
>It can?
Yes, it can.  I always use [Env@lop] except in situations marked as
sarcastic, but I know folks who do pronounce it as [anv@lop] as a matter of
course.  I believe they are in free variation in my mother's dialect.

>
>Choice of initial vowel [e] or [O] I would find easier to believe!
>
>I favour [e]. Incidentally, in some Australian dialects - not mine - [e]
>becomes [E] as a matter of course.
>
>I'm also rather sceptical that anyone would pronounce 'tomato' as
>'toe-mato'.
>
East Texas hypercorrection.

The "standard" pronunciation there is [med@r].

Adam
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