Newsgroups: alt.usage.english,sci.lang
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!newsfeed.pitt.edu!dsinc!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!howland.erols.net!news.sprintlink.net!new-news.sprintlink.net!newsreader.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!news-ana-24.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!news-stk-3.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!news-stk-11.sprintlink.net!GRAYLADY!dmn1-37.usa1.com!user
From: rdd@usa1.com (Aaron J. Dinkin)
Subject: Re: PIN =/= PINK !? (and Lara =/=Laura=/=Lora!)
Message-ID: <rdd-1108961355140001@dmn1-37.usa1.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Aug 1996 13:55:14 -0500
References: <4u996o$bfq@cantuc.canterbury.ac.nz> <rdd-0708960908580001@dmn1-53.usa1.com> <320BBED5.7081@trl.telstra.com.au> <rdd-0908961113500001@dmn1-21.usa1.com> <4ugljp$f0t@cronkite.polaristel.net> <rdd-1008961110180001@dmn1-33.usa1.com> <rte-1108961200490001@135.25.41.185>
Lines: 53

In article <rte-1108961200490001@135.25.41.185>, rte@elmo.lz.att.com
(Ralph T. Edwards) wrote:

> In article <rdd-1008961110180001@dmn1-33.usa1.com>, rdd@usa1.com (Aaron J.
> Dinkin) wrote:
> 
> > 
> > I find this very strange. I would expect anyone to pronounce "Laura" and
> > "law" with the same vowel.
> > 
> 
> My dialect has only seven vowel +<r> combinations.
> 
> here /Ir/
> hair /Er/
> car /Ar/
> core /Or/ ([O] not [A.])
> poor /pUr/
> tour /tur/
> fur /fR/
> 
> I don't think there are any additional possibilities even when there is a
> folowing vowel.  I'll meditate on it.

These are my vowel + /r/ combinations:

First, the closed ones:
/ir/: "here"
/er/: "hair"
/@r/: "her"
/ar/: "tar"
/ur/: "tour"
/Or/: "tore"

and the open ones:
/ir/: "merer"
/Ir/: "mirror"
/er/: "Mary"
/Er/: "merry"
/&r/: "marry"
/@r/: "furry"
/Vr/: "hurry"
/ar/: "sparring"
/ur/: "touring"
/Or/: "oral"
/Ar/: "aural"

(There may be exceptions; /&r/ is found in a closed syllable in a nickname
I rather dislike, "Aar", and /ur/ shows definite signs of collapsing into
/@r/.

-Aaron J. Dinkin
Dr. Whom

