Date:  Mon, 23 Oct 1995 12:33:45 -0700

From:  Dan Moonhawk Alford <dalford[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]S1.CSUHAYWARD.EDU>

Subject: Re: skraw/skring



That was probably my str->shtr stuff, Larry, that I researched on

Linguist List of its participants, then posted it back there and here. I

can forward that posting to anyone that didn't see it and wants to. I

keep noticing it in more and more speakers/actors on tv and in real life.

I keep wondering if we're at the beginning of a sound change, or if this

will remain 'contained' in certain dialects. It's invisible to most people.



On Sun, 22 Oct 1995, Larry Horn wrote:



> >Instead of: I forgot my straw. I've heard: I forgot my skraw.

> >also other words beginning in str substituting the skr; skreet, etc.

> >comments? Marla

>

>  So you're hearing [skr-] in these clusters? This seems to be related to

> a phenomenon I think we talked about here a year or so ago (or maybe it was on

> Linguist?) in which the [s] is palatalized, yielding something like 'shtreet'

> in the clusters you cite. This palatalization seems to be especially frequent

> among Long Islanders, particularly those with Italian surnames. Seriously.

> Does anyone on the list know anybody who discusses either this palatalization

> Marla's velarization in these str- initial clusters?  (At least the former

> development isn't too surprising, since the -tr- is or can be itself somewhat

> palatalized in many idiolects, including my own; but motivation isn't reality

> for most speakers.)

>

> Larry

>