Re: -ire words

From: Stewart Gordon (smjg_1998_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 07/16/04 

Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 18:02:44 +0100

Aaron J. Dinkin wrote:

<snip>
> A.u.e: Does anyone else have these two different "-ire"s? Consciously or
> unconsciously? With the same distribution as mine or different?

When I come to think about it, it appears that words in your first list
are slightly shorter sounds. But they're the same sound otherwise.

> Sci.lang: Same question as a.u.e, plus: How should this be analyzed, given
> that it's a difference I'm not conscious of? Different underlying vowels,
> which I just never noticed before? Same underlying vowels, different
> syllable structure? Or what?

To me: Same underlying vowels, same phonemes (typically written /aI@/ or
similar in BrE dictionaries), same syllable structure, just marginally
different length.

> These are some sample words for each class:
>
> [Vjr]:
> fire, tire (on a wheel), admire, (a|in|per)spire, expire, hire,
> (in|ac|re)quire, retire, sapphire, attire, desire
>
> [ajr]:
> dire, ire, lyre, mire, shire, spire, squire, choir, sire, tire ('make
> weary'), wire
<snip>

lyre and choir don't end in -ire. But still, they belong in the same
sound category. And where would "liar" come in your pronunciation?
Just thinking about it:

- all the words in your second list are monosyllabic; most in your first
list are disyllabic

- "higher" and "fryer" seems to be yet another variation, unless I'm
thinking too hard by now....

Stewart. 

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