From: Mark Odegard
Message: 2060
Date: 2000-04-07
A case of -r insertion it just might be. Here's one for you taken from my stint at San Juan High: There's a *dog barking* in the hall vs there's a dorg ba-king in hall. Or is this a case of retroflex "r" like the wash/warsh pattern?
San Juan de What High? de Capistrano? de Puerto Rico?Another example of 'R-insertion' is that New England accent which turns 'drawing' into 'draw-ring'. I've been told this is a quite regular 'rule' for this kind of accent. A majority of Americans, including myself, treat R a consonant in quite nearly all circumstances (about the only exception in my speech is the word 'surprise' when I don't watch myself). Southern and New England American accents treat Rs much as British RP or Standard German do. Only a subset of 'R-dropping' accents are also 'R-intruding'. Norm Abrams of US Public Television (whose accent is otherwise not particularly remarkable) , as well as President Kennedy have/had this peculiarity to their speech.I've never quite assimilated the lectures as to why this happens.Mark.