longer and wronger

Guest   Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:08 pm GMT
I posted this on another thread, but no one ever replied. I pronounce longer and wronger as /lANg@`/ and /rAn@`/ thus they don't rhyme. They don't rhyme despite the fact that there both comparatives of words that do rhyme. Does everyone else do this too?
Jim   Fri Jan 05, 2007 12:08 am GMT
For me it's "more wrong" so they don't rhyme but if I had to pronounce "wronger" I'd say /rON.@/ whereas "longer" I pronounce as /lON.g@/. Odd isn't it?
Lazar   Fri Jan 05, 2007 2:23 am GMT
I pronounce "longer" as ["lQNg@`], with a plosive [g]; and I suppose I would pronounce "wronger" as ["r\QN@`], without a plosive [g]. However, as in the case of Jim, the comparative of "wrong" in my speech is "more wrong".

As for why, I'd guess that our pronunciation of "longer" comes from a time when words like "long" ended in [Ng]. We dropped the [g] in the base form "long", but we kept it in some word-medial positions like "longer". "Wronger", on the other hand, I suspect to be a more newly created word, in which you take the modern base form "wrong" (ending in simple [N]), and just put "er" on it. Or in other words (disregarding the issue of what vowel these words use), my hypothesis would be:

OLD FORMS

"long" ["lQNg], from whence "longer" ["lQNg@`]
"wrong" ["r\QNg]

NEW FORMS

"long" ["lQN]
"wrong" [r\QN], from whence "wronger" ["r\QN@`]
Uriel   Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:29 am GMT
"Wronger" is a word?

If so, I've never had the opportunity to say it, so I can't answer that question!
Guest   Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:43 am GMT
Mike   Sat Jan 06, 2007 7:59 pm GMT
I'm from Georgia, U.S. and I pronounce them /lAN.g@`/ and /rAn.@`/. Lazar's hypothesis is probably right.
Guest   Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:01 pm GMT
<<I'm from Georgia, U.S. and I pronounce them /lAN.g@`/ and /rAn.@`/.>>

/rAN.@`/ not /rAn.@`/.
antichrist   Sun Jan 07, 2007 12:35 am GMT
No one uses wronger. Don't use it in your speech or papers.
Guest   Sun Jan 07, 2007 12:55 am GMT
>> No one uses wronger. Don't use it in your speech or papers. <<

That statement is wronger.
Mike   Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:40 am GMT
That Guest between antichrist and Mike is me.