Date:  Fri, 7 Apr 1995 20:09:07 -0600

From:  "Garland D. Bills" <gbills[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UNM.EDU>

Subject: Re: Southern Shuft



On Fri, 7 Apr 1995, Wayne Glowka wrote:

> I will defer to a professional, but I'd say the opposite is true in Central

> Georgia.

>

> BIT sounds like [bixt] x = schwa

> BET sounds like [bext]

> BEET sounds like [bxit]

> BAIT sounds like [b[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]eit] or [baeit]

> Full of [bxinz],



It will be noted that Wayne's examples support exactly what D[ix]nis (that

is, Labov) was saying. The syllabic nuclei of the first two are

peripheral (tense) and therefore rising. The nuclei of the last three are

non-peripheral (lax) and therefore falling.



Garland D. Bills                E-mail: gbills[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]unm.edu

Department of Linguistics            Tel.:  (505) 277-7416

University of New Mexico            FAX:  (505) 277-6355

Albuquerque, NM 87131-1196 USA