Date: Wed, 8 Nov 1995 17:25:32 -0400
From: Jeutonne Brewer BREWERJ[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]IRIS.UNCG.EDU
Subject: Re: supervisor/coupon
I think we have several different categories of words. One category includes words in which everyone
uses /yu/ (or /ju/. I always use /yu/ with these words:
music
mercury
Another category is probably special because the words are onomatopoetic:
meow and moo
I always say /myiau/. If I remember correctly from her note, Natalie does not use /yu/. I say /mu/ not
/myu/.
The third category (and I'm sure there must be subcategories) includes
coupon, assume, suture, dew, and do
I use /yu/ only with coupon. In fact I think that may be the only word in which I use that
pronunciation, with the exception of the special categories I mentioned.
My family had good way of distinguishing between dog "doo" and the verb "do." The first was
always the reduplicated do-do (or doo-doo). No problem. Of course, context and meaning would
typically prevent any confusion about the meaning of the two words.
By the way, sorry I forgot to change the "soft" returns to "hard" returns in my previous messages. I
hate text lines that extend beyond the edge of the screen and into cyberspace.
*********************************************************************
* Jeutonne P. Brewer BREWERJ[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]IRIS.UNCG.EDU *
* Department of English *
* U of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27412 *
*********************************************************************