Author Topic: Linguists Gone Wild! (Read 3736 times)

Zalmoxis · « **on:** January 11, 2005, 12:26:53 PM »

Jesse Sheidler editor-at-large for the OED has posted an interesting first person account over at Slate on how linguists choose the word of the year. It's fairly entertaining, but one detail intersted me more than the over-all piece. He mentions a paper presentation on "Acoustic Characteristics of Utah's card/cord Merger."

Does JB or anybody have an idea on what that might be about? My guess is that it's related to (or the descriptor for) the phenomenon I know most from hearing southern Utahns pronounce corn as carn and horse as harse.

Lady Montagu · « **Reply #1 on:** January 11, 2005, 12:27:55 PM »

I <3 Slate.

Zalmoxis · « **Reply #2 on:** January 11, 2005, 12:58:27 PM »

I }4 Slate.

Jonathon · « **Reply #3 on:** January 11, 2005, 01:59:31 PM »

Yes, Zal, that is the general descriptive term of the rural (not just southern) Utah pronunciation. Linguists generally pick one notable pair and then label the phenomenon that way (like the pole/pull merger or the feel/fill merger).

One of my professors last semester was doing some research on Utah English, and this was one of the main features she focused on. Evidently, it's dying out in the younger generations, and it almost never occurs among non-Mormons. Interesting sociolinguistic implications.

Zalmoxis · « **Reply #4 on:** January 11, 2005, 02:35:23 PM »

It's Paris Hilton's fault.

Noemon · « **Reply #5 on:** January 11, 2005, 07:00:28 PM »

My $#^$@^#% workplace has blocked Slate, much to my irritation. Not Salon though, which I find surprising.

You know, when I see "<3", my first thought is always that the emoticon indicates mooning.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #6 on:** January 11, 2005, 08:51:05 PM »

The feel/fill thing always catches me off guard. Especially when some lady at church gets up and starts talking about her fillings.

Jonathon · « **Reply #7 on:** January 11, 2005, 09:05:12 PM »

Or when someone writes "4 Sell" in the back window of their car (or, conversely, "Must Sale"). Then there was one that took me weeks to figure out: there was a sign in a field not too far from my house requesting field dirt. I couldn't figure out why it mattered whether or not it was from a field. Then one day as I drove past it again, it struck me that they were really asking for fill dirt.

Trisha · « **Reply #8 on:** January 12, 2005, 06:08:28 AM »

There is a town called American Fork, that it was joked the locals called American Fark.

Porter · « **Reply #9 on:** January 12, 2005, 06:33:30 AM »

The only person I've ever heard pronounce it American Fark (except for people mocking that accent) is L. Tom Perry.

Brinestone · « **Reply #10 on:** January 12, 2005, 06:55:14 AM »

I remember being completely shocked to hear one of my professors do the ar thing. I had heard about how Utahns say "American Fark" for years, but I had never actually heard someone do it. The first time I realized she had said we could do one thing ar another thing, I started listening closely. Sure enough, she still does it. It made me happy, for some reason.

Jonathon · « **Reply #11 on:** January 12, 2005, 07:58:56 AM »

L. Tom Perry is a classic example. Remember his talk on sweeping out the carners?

Porter · « **Reply #12 on:** January 12, 2005, 08:11:07 AM »

AFR · « **Reply #13 on:** January 12, 2005, 02:14:38 PM »

Arganize yourselves!

Zalmoxis · « **Reply #14 on:** January 13, 2005, 09:35:10 AM »

I never fully developed the rural Utah accent as a child and almost all vestiges were wiped out by my California dude accent (which, sadly, I still have -- a product of teenage years in the Calif. 'burbs), but there is still one major tick -- I have a difficult time pronouncing color and collar differently.

Porter · « **Reply #15 on:** January 13, 2005, 09:53:47 AM »

I have a bizarre accent, although it is not thick. My father grew up in rural Wyoming, but he was paranoid about not sounding like a hick. My mother grew up in New England, but her mother was from Denver and her father from rural Nevada. On top of all that, I grew up in Texas and Oklahoma.

There is no place on earth where the people sound like I do.

sarcasticmuppet · « **Reply #16 on:** January 13, 2005, 10:04:42 AM »

I don't have an accent.

So there.

Jonathon · « **Reply #17 on:** January 13, 2005, 10:13:55 AM »

Sure you don't. You must speak pure Adamic, right?

Porter, your accent doesn't sound bizarre to me. Maybe I just haven't paid enough attention to how you talk.

Porter · « **Reply #18 on:** January 13, 2005, 10:29:24 AM »

Like I said, it's not a thick accent, and it takes a while to notice it.

It's especially noticable if you are with my family, since all us brothers share the same accent, to a degree. It mostly comes from my folks.

rivka · « **Reply #19 on:** January 16, 2005, 01:57:23 PM »

*nod* Porter has a very slight . . . not sure what to call it, twang? But yeah, unique.

And Ashley, you do have an accent, although not a strong one.