Re: rhotic miscellany (was: Advanced English + Babel text)

On Nov 5, 2004, at 2:34 PM, John Cowan wrote:
> Ray Brown scripsit:
>> Those people who use the uvular trill, do so also when they speak
>> English.
>>  My guess that you simply did not come across any speakers who used
>> the
>> uvular trill.
> In Ill Bethisad, if you remember, the uvular trill (and perhaps by now
> the
> uvular fricative) is an eastern North American _Sprachbund_ phenomenon,
> affecting English, Brithenig, French, and perhaps the archaic Swedish
> of New Sweden.  I do not think it has spread to North American Spanish
> or to Montreiano, however.  I have no clue about the Judeo-Spanish of
> Mueva Sefarad (Newfoundland).
It has begun to rear its ugly head there also, but in still only a
minority of speakers.
("ugly" meaning, of course, 'i can't pronounce an uvular trill' :P)

Has it hit Scots and/or Scottish Gaelic yet?  Since Alba Nuadh is the
next province over from Mueva Sefarad, that'd affect whether it's a
very small minority of speakers or a very large minority :) .

-Stephen (Steg)
  "ezekiel... he has like the crazy thing!"
      ~ brilliant biblical commentary by n

Reply