From: Andrew Jarrette
Message: 63686
Date: 2009-03-29
>I know: Bill Clinton (e.g. [ma:] for 'my', [ta:m] for 'time', [ra:t] for 'right', etc.); seems primarily a Southern thing but also some New England as I believe John F. Kennedy had a similar pronunciation. But I think this pronunciation of /aI/ is dwindling with the passage of generations while the [æo] etc. etc. pronunciations of /aU/ are still going pretty strong, it seems, in many regions.
> Another example of this terrible feeling of déjà vu is the development
> of PGmc. *ai > OE a: (/A:/), which also is happening or has happened in
> several modern accents.
>