Re: English Haplology and Degemination

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Brian M. Scott" <BMScott@...> wrote:

> > <February> also has
> > the natural development route */febrjU&ri:/ > /febjU&ri:/
> > > /febj&ri:/
>
> This step isn't particularly natural: the previous stage is
> ['fEbjU,(w)Eri] or the like

Which form are you querying? /febjU&ri:/ is just as natural as
/dZ{njU&ri:/.

> > > /febri:/. The first stage may actually be <February> >
> > <Febuary> - the latter is a common misspelling.
>
> I'd be very much surprised if it were by way of your starred
> form: [rjU] is pretty unlikely even for those varieties
> (like mine) that have [njU]~[n^U], [djU]~[d^U], etc.

Has it always been impossible?

> > I don't think "parall'ism" is as clear case as it may
> > seem. <parallel> may be pronounced as a single foot,
> > /"p{r&l&l/,
>
> While I don't doubt that it has been, I've never heard it so
> pronounced, however. In my experience it always has
> secondary stress on the final syllable, ['pEr&,lEl] or
> ['pær&,lEl], which makes the rest of the derivation rather
> less likely.

Try the near tongue twister 'parallel lines'.

Richard.