Re: Odd phonology (was Re: Odd orthography)

Nik Taylor wrote:

> Terrence Donnelly wrote:
> > Do any other languages announce political or lifestyle affiliation
> > merely by spelling changes?
>
> I just thought of something related: intentional mis-pronunciation.  I'm
> sure this must occur in many other languages.  For example, government
> /'gV.vr.mInt/ --> gumment /'gV.mInt/, where the second tends to have a
> negative connotation ("Damn those gumment regulations!"), rarely used
> for praise (?"Thanks to a gumment scholarship, he was able to finish
> school"), unless you're being humorous.
I would say that's because /gV?mInt/ is something that would only be used
by certain backwoods dialects, and it is the same people who are likely to
characterize all government interference as invasive on their personal rights.
It's only a play on dialectal features, like all of the old _Dukes of Hazard_
shows. :)


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Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
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We look at [the Tao], and do not see it;
  Its name is the Invisible.
                 - Lao Tsu, _Tao Te Ching_

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