End of ADS-L Digest - 26 Apr 1998 to 27 Apr 1998
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<br>From: Automatic digest processor (4/27/98)
<br>To: Recipients of ADS-L digests
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<br>         ADS-L Digest - 25 Apr 1998 to 26 Apr 1998             98-04-27 00:00:52
<br>There are 2 messages totalling 72 lines in this issue.
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<br>Topics of the day:
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<br>  1. Thole story (2)
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<br>Date:    Sun, 26 Apr 1998 17:26:55 -0400
<br>From:    Beverly Flanigan <flanigan[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]OAK.CATS.OHIOU.EDU>
<br>Subject: Re: Thole story
<br>
<br>Rather than fetching for "the old" > thole/t'ole, you might want to
<br>consider the fact that even today many South Midland speakers (and South?)
<br>add a liquid after the back vowels, both finally and intrusively before a
<br>following vowel.  I have students at Ohio University who say "Grandmawl"
<br>(open O plus /l/) regularly in both linking and final positions.  One
<br>recently said she doesn't speak "Appalachian" English but her "grandmawl"
<br>does.  (Another example is 'drawling' for 'drawing,' equivalent to
<br>intrusive /r/ in 'drawring'.)  I assume the parenthetic "(tow mule?)" was
<br>in the transcript itself?  If so, it may be acknowledging the above
<br>pronunciation, esp. since the concomitant 'a-riding' suggests SoMid/South
<br>speech.  The meaning refers to the mule pulling a canal flatboat, I would
<br>assume.
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<br>The reverse process may be operating in the second citation, with the /l/
<br>of 'bolts' vocalized.  This is common in the Philadelphia/Baltimore area;
<br>how far South it extends would be better known by Don Lance, Michael
<br>Montgomery and others, I suspect.  (I don't hear it in southern Ohio.)  But
<br>this assumes the word is 'bolts,' of course.
<br>
<br>
<br>At 01:26 AM 4/25/98 +0200, you wrote:
<br>>In the recording of an African American born circa 1855-1860, I have the
<br>>expression "one man a-riding tole mule" (tow mule?). I think he's
<br>>actually saying t'ole mule. Can anyone confirm that "thole" (of a horse
<br>>or other draft animal) can mean "lead", "leading"?
<br>>
<br>>Also (for any Civil War experts out there) this speaker refers to
<br>>cannons and wagons with /bo:ts/ on them passing through Jasper, TX. He's
<br>>either saying "bolts" or "boats". Does anyone know if the unionest
<br>>forces carted boats around East Texas on wagons at the close of the War?
<br>>
<br>>Thanks,
<br>>
<br>>David Sutcliffe
<br>>
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