Re: OT: vowel in 'kerb', 'bird'

At 12:56 pm +1000 23/6/01, Tristan Alexander McLeay wrote:
>This question is directed primarily to non-rhotic English-speakers.
>
>Is it just Melbourne, or just Australia, or is the vowel in
Probably not just Melborne - but whether all Australia or not, I'm in no
position to know.

>'kerb'/'bird' ect. really [3\:], and not [3:] as is generally shown, and
>if it is, then why isn't [3\:] (i.e, closed open e/closed reversed
>epsilon) used instead?
Basically, I guess, because it ain't always [3\:] elsewhere.

Here in non-rhotic south-east England it is [3:] or, indeed, [3].

The sound certainly varies, in common with all vowel sounds, throughout the
anglophone world.  Indeed, when one considers what a large section of the
globe that encompasses, it would be surprising it it were otherwise.

Ray.


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