Re: Spelling pronunciations (was: rhotic miscellany)

Thomas R. Wier scripsit:

> More likely, it is more characteristic of the upper Southern /
> Apalachian dialects from which Kansan derives.  Certainly,
> hypercorrection to /wArS/ "wash" would only arise in a nonrhotic
> dialect; this suggests something no further than about 100-200
> miles from the Atlantic, either East- or Gulf Coast.
I associate [wOr\S] and relatives with Western Pennsylvania; for
whatever reason, PA is alone among the Eastern Seaboard states
in having no non-rhotic area.  Note that the [r\] appears only
in words for which I have [wO] rather than [wA]: so "wash" has it
but "watch" does not.  (I have not heard it in "water" either,
but my pronunciation of "water" is terminally confused.)

--
John Cowan  www.ccil.org/~cowan  www.reutershealth.com  jcowan@reutershealth.com
In might the Feanorians / that swore the unforgotten oath
brought war into Arvernien / with burning and with broken troth.
and Elwing from her fastness dim / then cast her in the waters wide,
but like a mew was swiftly borne, / uplifted o'er the roaring tide.
        --the Earendillinwe

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