Date: Fri, 18 Feb 1994 10:58:20 -0500
From: ALICE FABER FABER%LENNY[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]VENUS.CIS.YALE.EDU
Subject: /k(j)upan/
I think that Jack Chambers is right about the pronunciation of COUPON being
unrelated to the /njuz/-/nuz/ difference. The pronunciation /kjupan/ is one of
the few that I have been unable to suppress my cringing at, despite 20+ years
of linguistics education and practice. I suspect that, at least in New York
State, there is some sort of social marking to the choice of /kjupan/ vs.
/kupan/, but I don't have a clue what. I'll ask my sister, who has lived in
the Albany area and in Plattsburgh if she has any ideas. (She's a /kjupan/
speaker...)
Alice Faber
Faber[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]yalehask