Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 11:02:47 -0500

From: Gregory {Greg} Downing downingg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]IS2.NYU.EDU

Subject: Re: Ast for Ask



At 10:21 AM 10/30/97 -0500, you wrote:

A number of words developed an intrusive /t/ after /s/ in ME as in ME

listnen from OE hlysnan, or ME beheste from OE behaes. I wonder if "ast"

is an instance showing the phenomenon is ongoing.





Isn't ast for ask fairly easy to understand just in articulatory terms? When

you pronounce the s, you then have to move your tongue way back in your

mouth to do the velar k. But if (without really thinking about it) you kind

of naturally slip into making things a bit easier on yourself, tonguewise,

then from an "s" tongue-position in the mouth, the nearest voiceless stop

for an English speaker is t, not k.



Greg Downing/NYU, at greg.downing[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]nyu.edu or downingg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]is2.nyu.edu