LINGUIST List 2.252

Monday, 27 May 1991

Disc: Hyouston

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1. Robert D Hoberman, Houston
2. , Hyouston

In my native New Jersey speech (metropolitan NY but this was before the 
r-dropping isogloss crossed the Hudson), there was no /hy-/ whatsoever. I 
first learned to pronounce it at the age of 22, when I lived together with 
several other /hy/-less speakers and a poor fellow named Hugh. We got lots of 
laughs ringing the changes on "Where is /yuw/?", "There /hyuw/ are", etc..... 
It became a matter of practical necessity to acquire the distinction. Nowadays 
I think I use /hy-/ rarely and sporadically in some words, but I agree with 
Ellen Prince that good hyumor could still never be the ice cream.

Bob Hoberman

The distinction between Hyouston and Youston is one of the features
Guy Bailey (Oklahoma State Univ.) and I (Cynthia Bernstein, Auburn Univ.)
analyze in our study of Texas phonology based on a Texas Poll survey.
Peter Gingiss' estimate is right on the mark: of 910 responding,
78.24 said Hyouston, 10.66 said Youston, 10.77 couldn't be determined, and
the rest said something else (Huston). This survey was limited to
Texas residents.

[End Linguist List, Vol. 2, No. 252]