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From: tmoody@sjuvax.UUCP (T. Moody)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: RhoDisland 'R'
Message-ID: <2554@sjuvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 21-Nov-85 09:16:23 EST
Article-I.D.: sjuvax.2554
Posted: Thu Nov 21 09:16:23 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 24-Nov-85 05:36:38 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: St. Joseph's University, Phila. PA.
Lines: 32

[]
Back in Rhode Island (actually pronounced > r'DIsland ), there is an
unusual consonant transformation, which I've never heard anywhere
else.  In certain contexts, the 'r' sound is changed to a rather soft
'v' sound.

As elsewhere in New England, the letter 'r' doesn't get pronounced at
all when it is after a vowel and before a consonant.  The
transformation occurs in words where the 'r' is before a vowel, but
not (I think) at the beginning of the word.

Thus, "bring" becomes "bving", "area" becomes "avea", and "Cranston"
becomes "Kvanston."

The 'v' sound is, as I say, somewhat muted, retaining some 'w-ness',
which leads me to think that this transformation is an extreme case of
the Elmer Fudd/Baba Wawa syndrome.  Since the EF/BW is fairly common,
I wouldn't expect this transformation to be restricted to R.I.  But
I've never heard it anywhere else.  Of course, I don't get around as
much as you folks.

Even though I am a transplanted r'DIslander, I don't think I ever used
this pronunciation.  It sure sounds strange to me now, when I go back
there.  Anybody who watched last year's "60 Minutes" interview with
R.I. attorney general Arlene Violet got an earful of this
transformation, which is not restricted to the uneducated.


Todd Moody                 |  {allegra|astrovax|bpa|burdvax}!sjuvax!tmoody
Philosophy Department      |
St. Joseph's U.            |         "I couldn't fail to
Philadelphia, PA   19131   |          disagree with you less."