Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 08:36:39 -0800

From: Peter McGraw pmcgraw[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]CALVIN.LINFIELD.EDU

Subject: Re: AWFUL OFFAL



"Offal" and "awful" are not homophonous for me, though the difference is

in the syllable division rather than the vowel quality. As a result of

juncture placement, the otherwise identical low back rounded vowel is

lengthenable in "awful" but not in "offal". In contrast, "caught/cot" and

"dawn/don" are distinguished by different vowels (low back rounded vs.

low mid unrounded in both cases). I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but grew

up in Oklahoma, California and Oregon. One parent is from Iowa and the

other from Texas and Oklahoma.



Peter McGraw