Date:  Wed, 19 Nov 1997 12:32:43 +0000
From:  Aaron Drews <aaron[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]LING.ED.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Merzouri

    -er- does not always refer to a schwa like sound in British
Englishes. The words _clerk_ and _derby_, eg, are pronounced with modern
realisations of [-a(r)-]. From what I understand, "Barkely" "Barcly"
(etc), and "Berkely" all spring from a common source, and all pronounced
with [-a(r)-]. The poet may have heard an Englishman or Scotsman say
"Berkely" with a back vowel, and "transcribed" his impression.
    Nowadays, Berkely (as in U.C.), is pronounced with a schwa (RP) or
an epsilon (Scottish). All the other examples are still -ar-.
    --Aaron

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Aaron E. Drews               http://www.ling.ed.ac.uk/~aaron
Ph.D. Candidate                     +44 (0)131 650-3485
The University of Edinburgh            fax: +44 (0)131 650-3962
Departments of Linguistics and English Language