Re: [MTLR] RE: The Vocalic Theory (PIE *al-)

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Andrew Jarrette <anjarrette@...> wrote:

> Richard Wordingham <richard.wordingham@...> wrote:


>> But some are rather lacking before a velar nasal in English. The
>> sequence /eN/ is rather artificial in English (I take issue with
>> J.D. O'Connor here, while using his evidence) - it occurs in
>> _dreng_, as a
>> borrowing from Old English, but the regularly derived form is
>> dialect _dring_.

> What about <length> and <strength>, two common words? I think only
> a fairly small minority of people pronounce them as /lEnT/, /strEnT/
> with dental /n/. I can't remember hearing those pronunciations for
> probably the last twenty years, whether in my city, when travelling,
> on TV, or in movies. I think a considerable majority of people
> pronounce them /lENT/ and /strENT/ or as /lENkT/ and /strENkT/ with
> velar /N/.

A curious pair of exceptions, but I'm pretty sure it's no concidence
that these two exceptions rime.

Richard.