Date:    Mon, 11 May 1998 09:36:13 +0000
<br>From:    Peter McGraw <pmcgraw[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]LINFIELD.EDU>
<br>Subject: Re: California (was: Ben vs. bin)
<br>
<br>On Fri, 8 May 1998 08:46:54 EDT RonButters <RonButters[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM> wrote:
<br>
<br>> In a message dated 5/7/98 6:20:07 PM, you wrote:
<br>>
<br>>>I recall Reagan's > similar lowering in [kael[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]fornya] ([E] for me);
<br>>>is this common on the > West Coast?>>
<br>>
<br>>
<br>> Also, at least part of the reduction of [ae] in CALIFORNIA must be
<br>> stress- related. The main stress is on the FOR, and [ae] will therefore
<br>> tend to become less tense (or, rather, more lax). Still, the lowering
<br>> of [ae] to [E] before liquids is not particularly new--cf. WHEELBARROW
<br>> is typically [wilbEro].  By the way, Ronald Reagan was not a native
<br>> Californian (there aren't that many 85-year-old native Californians in
<br>> anyi case). The Midwest--most particularly, lower Illinois (where
<br>> [wilbEro] is normal)--must take the blame for his spawning.
<br>
<br>You mean RAISING (of [ae] to [E]), right?
<br>
<br>I'm not a native Californian, but I grew up there and in Oregon, and
<br>[kEl[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]fornja] is a new one on me.  Also, I don't think [ae] or [E]
<br>before liquids is a matter of "new" or not, but a matter of geography.
<br>I don't think anyone from the West Coast would have the sequence [aer]
<br>in their speech. The neutralization of the [E]-[ae] contrast in West
<br>Coast speech occurs only before [r], however, not before [l].  I
<br>wouldn't say with certainty that nobody from the West Coast ever uses
<br>[E] in "California," but if anyone does, it must indeed be a pretty new
<br>development, and to my knowledge it hasn't reached Oregon.
<br>
<br>Peter
<br>
<br>----------------------
<br>Peter A. McGraw
<br>Linfield College
<br>McMinnville, Oregon
<br>pmcgraw[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]linfield.edu
<br>