USAGE: The Great Vowel Shift

Here are four versions of the same dialogue, illustrating the progress of the
English GVS.  In each case, the male speaker is the more conservative, and
the female speaker is more advanced.

http://alpha.furman.edu/~mmenzer/gvs/sound/me.wav
http://alpha.furman.edu/~mmenzer/gvs/sound/1450.wav
http://alpha.furman.edu/~mmenzer/gvs/sound/1550.wav
http://alpha.furman.edu/~mmenzer/gvs/sound/1650.wav

And here's a recap of the 8 steps:

1.  i and u move down to @I and @U.
2.  e and o move up to i and u.
3.  a moves forward to &.
4.  E and O move up and out to e and o.
5.  & moves up to E.
6.  e (both inherited and from step 4) moves up to i.
7.  E (both inherited and from step 5) moves up to e.
8.  @I and @U move down and break to aI and aU.

To which we can add:

9.  e and o break to eI and oU.
10. (RP) oU moves down and in to VU.

Steps 1-7 constitute a classical pull-chain shift.

--
John Cowan       http://www.ccil.org/~cowan        <jcowan@...>
        You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
        You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
                Clear all so!  `Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)

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