Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 10:25:11 -0400

From: Wayne Glowka wglowka[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MAIL.GAC.PEACHNET.EDU

Subject: Re: Southern Shuft



It is important to add, I believe, that (at least to Northerners) BIT sounds a

little like BEET and BET a little like BAIT.

If all this is so, then isn't it the case that the tense vowels are falling

and the lax ones raising?



Dennis Preston



I will defer to a professional, but I'd say the opposite is true in Central

Georgia.



BIT sounds like [bixt] x = schwa



BET sounds like [bext]



BEET sounds like [bxit]



BAIT sounds like [b[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]eit] or [baeit]



Full of [bxinz],



















Wayne Glowka

Professor of English

Director of Research and Graduate Student Services

Georgia College

Milledgeville, GA 31061

912-453-4222

wglowka[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]mail.gac.peachnet.edu