Date:  Sat, 5 Mar 1994 16:28:24 -0500

From:  Martha Howard <UN106005[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]WVNVAXA.WVNET.EDU>

Subject: I and E



When I first came to West Virginia, I was curious about the students'

references to " Ink pInz" (writing instrument until I realized that in

their vocabulary "pin" and "pen" were both pronounced "pIn; therefore, one

must distinguish which kind of pIn was being referred to. My first reaction

had been to wonder what other kind of pen does one write with? Also,

more frequent 30 years ago than now was the usually lower class or lower

middle class pronunciation of fish and dish with the vowel sound of eat.

And bush and push with the vowel sound of boot. The nurse in the delivery room

kept telling me to poosh--much more annoying than the labor itself! I

refused and pUsht!