Date:  Mon, 30 Oct 1995 14:37:32 -0500

From:  "Dennis R. Preston" <preston[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]PILOT.MSU.EDU>

Subject: Re: folk/folklore



What fun to hear that some students got a kick out of (rather than from)

phonology for a change.



But, to the point. No, us people (whoever we are, sounds like maybe we are

the evil scientists) think that folk learn a lot of words as words

(regardless of 'laws'). I am, for example, an 'aw' (as in 'caught')

pronouncer of most 'o' words before 'g' ('hog,' 'log,' 'dog,' 'frog,'

etc...), but a little introspection will show me that I have a bunch of

exceptions ('cog,' 'togs,' 'bog'). In every case, the non-'aw'

pronunciations are later-learned.



I meant to suggest that word-level analyses may often mask a deeper rule;

when the words are th only way to go, have at them.



Dennis Preston

<preston[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]pilot.msu.edu>







>Unsure now of what I say in these words, I read all seventeen pages of this

>exchange to my linguistics class this morning. Everyone got a big kick out

>of Dennis' dissertation on phonology.

>

>My astute student (the one who asked the question) wanted me to reply to

>Dennis' systematic phonology. She says that systematic phonology does not

>explain why she pronounces the words differently. She asks, "Don't these

>people ever think that you learn words from other people? You learn what

>you hear. I heard "folks" [foks] and learned it that way. I heard

>somebody else say [folkd[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ns] and [folklor]. That's why I say these words

>differently."

>

>I tend to agree, fan of things like sound laws though I am. I learned

>[foks] from other [foks]; I learned [folkd[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ns] and [folklore] from people

>who did not do these things but who had some kind of tourist or academic or

>preservationist interest in these things. People who are genuine

>(unconscious) folkdancers do not say things like "Why don't y'all come over

>and folkdance with us tonight? We'll spend some time sharing some

>folklore. We might even kill a pig and salt it up for the winter in the

>ways of the folk."

>

>The point, I guess, is that sound laws may not be consistent when borrowing

>from other dialects (or languages) occurs.

>

>With an extended audience,

>

>

>Wayne Glowka

>Professor of English

>Director of Research and Graduate Student Services

>Georgia College

>Milledgeville, GA 31061

>912-453-4222

>wglowka[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]mail.gac.peachnet.edu