* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
LINGUIST List logo Eastern Michigan University Wayne State University *
* People & Organizations * Jobs * Calls & Conferences * Publications * Language Resources * Text & Computer Tools * Teaching & Learning * Mailing Lists * Search *
* *
LINGUIST List 16.2163

Fri Jul 15 2005

Qs: Irish Language Speakers; Phonemic Distictions

Editor for this issue: Jessica Boynton <jessicalinguistlist.org>

We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is then strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list. This policy was instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate. In addition to posting a summary, we'd like to remind people that it is usually a good idea to personally thank those individuals who have taken the trouble to respond to the query. To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.html.
Directory
        1.    Sandra Beyer, Call for Irish Language Speakers
         2.    Tom Kun, Phonemic Distictions in English
Message 1: Call for Irish Language Speakers
Date: 14-Jul-2005
From: Sandra Beyer <SurveySandraBeyergmail.com>
Subject: Call for Irish Language Speakers


For my MA Applied Linguistics dissertation I am looking for Irish people
(who speak Irish) to fill in a short questionnaire.

If you are Irish, or know Irish people (either living in Ireland or the UK)
who might be interested in taking part in the study, please contact me at

SurveySandraBeyergmail.com

The questionnaire should not take more than 10-15 minutes to complete and
is available via email.

Your help would be greatly appreciated!

Kind regards,

Sandra Beyer
MA Applied Linguistics
Birkbeck College
University of London

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics
Message 2: Phonemic Distictions in English
Date: 14-Jul-2005
From: Tom Kun <tomkun83hotmail.com>
Subject: Phonemic Distictions in English



1. Some people have been arguing on the Antimoon forum
(http://www.antimoon.com/forum) about whether there might be a
''libel-bible'' split going on in Australia. The whole mess started when
someone posted a huge minimal pair survey on the UniLang forum, and one of
the pairs was ''libel-bible.'' Three Australians answered that they
pronounced them differently. Someone then asked a question on the Antimoon
forum about it, posting a link to the UniLang survey. The Antimooners
wrote it all off as ''troll activity.'' So is there any real split going on?

2. Speaking of Australia, some Australians I've met on forums such as the
ones mentioned above claim a slight distinction between ''bred'' and
''bread.'' For them the vowel in ''bread'' is slightly longer. Anyone
know anything more?

3. I have a friend who was born in Alaska, grew up in Arizona and Florida,
and most recently has lived in North Carolina. She pronounces ''there''
and ''they're'' as [De:r] but ''their'' as [D3:r]. And yes, she is aware
of it and thinks we're all strange for pronouncing all three the same. I
have never heard of any such phenomenon, is it a characteristic of some region?

Linguistic Field(s): Phonology
Sociolinguistics


Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue



Please report any bad links or misclassified data

LINGUIST Homepage | Read LINGUIST | Contact us

NSF Logo

While the LINGUIST List makes every effort to ensure the linguistic relevance of sites listed
on its pages, it cannot vouch for their contents.