Date:  Sat, 6 Jan 1996 15:00:42 EST

From:  Terry Lynn Irons <t.irons[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MOREHEAD-ST.EDU>

Subject: American Diphthongs



It has been noted in many places that the diphthong that developed from

ME u has a nucleus varying from [a] to [ae] to [[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]] with variations

all around. The upglide varies from [U] to [w].



In looking through some LANCS records for the term for removing dried

beans from the pod, which alternates lexically as shelling/hulling,

often with "out" as a verb particle combination, I came across a

variant for the upglide that I had never seen nor heard before,

namely [o]. At first I thought it was a mistake, but it occurs in

several records transcribed by Raven McDavid. In most instances

the nucleus vowel is [ae] but in one case it is [a].



Has anyone else come across such a pronunciation of this diphthong?

I'm trying to produce it myself, but I don't know if I've got it

right and I haven't tried it out [ae o t] on anyone yet.



Could the fronting of the nucleus result in a lowering of the

upglide?  I have heard locally a reduction to [[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]] (represents

mid central position) after an tensed and raised [ae]. Could

this be a fronting from the [o]?



Terry Irons



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Terry Lynn Irons    t.irons[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]morehead-st.edu

Voice Mail:       (606) 783-5164

Snail Mail:       UPO 604 Morehead, KY 40351

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