Re: English eth (was: Love Those Double Vowels)

John:
> Generally speaking, the default realization of //T// in English
> is /T/, and you get /D/ only in three circumstances:
>
> 1) Intervocalically in native words;
> 2) Finally in native words that used to end in /@/, generally
>     shown by a silent "e" in the orthography;
> 3) Initially in closed-class words.
>
> So "ether" has /T/ because it is a borrowing, whereas "either" is
> native; "then" is closed-class, but "thin" is open-class;
> ditto for "thy"/"thigh".
>
> For me, "with" is /wID/ when a vowel follows in close juncture, which
> makes it de facto intervocalic, but /wIT/ otherwise.  Other people
> seem to use /wIT/ exclusively.
>
> In general, no newly introduced word contains /D/; I find that
> my wife, who can say "soothe" /suD/ quite perfectly, always
> pronounces "Gwynedd" with /T/.
As in the given name, or as in the county in North Wales?

--And.

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