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Drafted: Linguistic Ponderings (I Am A Nerd)

drafted August 15/2008

I wonder what it is that makes some people pronounce their "short-e's" as "short-i's." What I am referring to is the tendency to pronounce Men as Min, Wendy as Windy, Ten as Tin and so on. My friends who do this come from different origins, have different social circles, and some don't even know each other.


Still don't have an answer to this. But I know which two friends I was thinking of when I wrote it. Both are male. Do girls do this too? Who knows. I am probably creating a thing, here. 

 Related: a few weekends ago I met a couple from Michigan who told me a story about going out for dinner in Washington, and at the end of the meal the wife gestured to her leftovers and said, "Can I get a box?" their waiter looked at her confusedly. She repeated her question, and then he said, "Ma'am, I believe you just asked me for a bax. I have no idea what that is."

 I find this story hilarious.
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Comments

  1. vanman9111:37 PM

    Don't know the answer either, but believe that I've heard a similar word pronunciation in at least two Moore's suit ads on TV.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rachella12:34 PM

    Hey Beth,
    My sister, who is studying psychology, has told me many times that after a certain age, our brains do not pick up new sounds, ie. sounds that are not from our first language. That is why Americans think we say "aboot" instead of "about".. its because they can't hear the sound of the 'ou'.
    Maybe that could explain the miscommunication..

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beth1:33 PM

    vanman91 - Interesting!

    Rachella - also interesting!! I love linguistics and the human brain.

    ReplyDelete
  4. MLW1:34 PM

    LOL!!! gotta get a bax!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Amelia2:04 PM

    When I first moved to Canada I used to get made fun of all the time for saying "Bax"!!!!

    ReplyDelete

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