Re: A question

alypius wrote:
>
> >alypius wrote:
> >
> >> I grew up in SE Texas, and I not only say /hw/, but I thought everyone
> else
> >> did too!  It's news to me if this phoneme is headed for extinction.  It
> >> would be a pity to lose it, its such an enchanting sound...whistle,
> whirl,
> >> whipoorwill, whack, whoa (not woe)...a whopper is a big hamburger ; a
> >> wopper, I would guess, a big Italian.
> >
> >Where did you grow up?   Maybe it's just a Houston thing, or an urban-rural
> >thing; people in Austin don't have the distinction either.
>
Its common enough in the northern part of Indiana where I used to
live too.  My first phonetics class was taught by a newly arrived
Dutch instructor who was as surprised to hear us using it as we were
to learn that it was uncommon.
--
Brad Coon
bradandjen@imt.net
listowner battleship-l
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Gorge/7264/battleship-l.html
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Gorge/7264 (outdoor and prim.skills)

The believer is happy, the doubter is wise.--Proverb of unknown origin.