Date:  Tue, 12 Apr 1994 18:01:15 -0500

From:  Natalie Maynor <maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]RA.MSSTATE.EDU>

Subject: Re: ink pen



> of non-low front vowels before /n/: Is it the impression of those of you from

> the relevant dialect area that the use of 'ink pen' for 'pen' is (a) a natural

> or standard designation, and (b) one that is motivated (consciously or

> unconsciously, synchronically or diachronically) by the avoidance of homonymy?



(a) Although I've heard "ink pen" many times in my life, I'm not sure I

would call it "a natural or standard designation." I've never said it, nor

do I remember ever hearing it from anybody in my family or from close friends.



(b) This possibility has occurred to me before. Obviously it's not

something that all [pIn]/[pIn] speakers do, since I don't say "ink pen"

and also don't distinguish between "pen" and "pin," but I do think there

may be a connection.

  --Natalie (maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ra.msstate.edu)