How do you pronounce this word? I pronounce it [be:r\i], but I've also heard [b3`r\i], especially from Southern Americans.
Bury
Little difference, if any, from "berry" here. I know that in England it's quite different in some of their accents, eg. Lancashire.
My OED only has [bEr\i]. It seems to me though that this word should have become [b3`r\i] in the first NURSE merger. Do Scots pronounce it [bVri]? And how did it become [bEr\i]?
<<My OED only has [bEr\i]. It seems to me though that this word should have become [b3`r\i] in the first NURSE merger. Do Scots pronounce it [bVri]? And how did it become [bEr\i]?>>
The /bEr\i/ pronunciation for "bury" has a long history. Old English /y/ and /y:/ merged with either /i/ and /i:/, /e/ and /e:/ or /u/ and /u:/ depending on the dialect. Finally the merger to /i/ and /i:/ won and replaced the others, yet we still got /bIzi/ and /bEr\i/ for "busy" and "berry" due to a dialect borrowing. So those pronunciations go back to the late Old English period.
P.S., I have /bEI/ for "bury" where /EI/ is a diphthong.
The /bEr\i/ pronunciation for "bury" has a long history. Old English /y/ and /y:/ merged with either /i/ and /i:/, /e/ and /e:/ or /u/ and /u:/ depending on the dialect. Finally the merger to /i/ and /i:/ won and replaced the others, yet we still got /bIzi/ and /bEr\i/ for "busy" and "berry" due to a dialect borrowing. So those pronunciations go back to the late Old English period.
P.S., I have /bEI/ for "bury" where /EI/ is a diphthong.
<<P.S., I have /bEI/ for "bury" where /EI/ is a diphthong.>>
That's just plain lazy. It's /bEr\i/. There's a reason for the "r" in the word.
That's just plain lazy. It's /bEr\i/. There's a reason for the "r" in the word.
<<That's just plain lazy. It's /bEr\i/. There's a reason for the "r" in the word.>>
That's just plain dumb. Do you pronounce a nice thick velar/uvular fricative in 'night'? Or a 'b' in 'debt'? Didn't think so. English spelling doesn't accurately reflect pronunciation. Also, no accent is 'lazy'. Each accent has its own sets of sounds. Paul if you are an American, then MegaBox, who is Jamaican, probably pronounces his t's in many places where you don't; does that make you lazy? Or if you're British, he probably pronounces a lot of vowels in a full way while you reduce them or omit them completely.
That's just plain dumb. Do you pronounce a nice thick velar/uvular fricative in 'night'? Or a 'b' in 'debt'? Didn't think so. English spelling doesn't accurately reflect pronunciation. Also, no accent is 'lazy'. Each accent has its own sets of sounds. Paul if you are an American, then MegaBox, who is Jamaican, probably pronounces his t's in many places where you don't; does that make you lazy? Or if you're British, he probably pronounces a lot of vowels in a full way while you reduce them or omit them completely.
<<we still got /bIzi/ and /bEr\i/ for "busy" and "berry" due to a dialect borrowing>>
What dialects did these come from? And this merger of Old English /y/ and /y:/ happened before the Norman Conquest, right? Because I though all the French words with /y/ became /ju/ in modern English. (eg. duke /dju:k/ from duc /dyk/). MegaBox, your accent continues to surprise me. Any chance you could post a recording somewhere?
What dialects did these come from? And this merger of Old English /y/ and /y:/ happened before the Norman Conquest, right? Because I though all the French words with /y/ became /ju/ in modern English. (eg. duke /dju:k/ from duc /dyk/). MegaBox, your accent continues to surprise me. Any chance you could post a recording somewhere?
<<And this merger of Old English /y/ and /y:/ happened before the Norman Conquest, right?>>
It probably did happen before the Norman Conquest, as yes, all the French words with /y/ became /ju:/.
It probably did happen before the Norman Conquest, as yes, all the French words with /y/ became /ju:/.
>>It probably did happen before the Norman Conquest, as yes, all the French words with /y/ became /ju:/. <<
Actually, Old English [y] and [y:] became [i] and [i:] relatively early on during the Middle English period, but Old French loans reintroduced [y] into Middle English. This [y] only later on merged with Middle English [eu] and [iu] as [ju] rather than being directly borrowed as such.
Actually, Old English [y] and [y:] became [i] and [i:] relatively early on during the Middle English period, but Old French loans reintroduced [y] into Middle English. This [y] only later on merged with Middle English [eu] and [iu] as [ju] rather than being directly borrowed as such.
This is only tangentially related, but how was the vowel 'y' pronounced in Middle English (eg. in 'yclept'). This comes from Old English 'ge-' I believe, so probably [i:]?
Same as "berry" /bEr\I/.
<<It seems to me though that this word should have become [b3`r\i] in the first NURSE merger.>>
Could you tell me what the first NURSE merger is? Because I have no idea what that is. Is it the furry-ferry merger common in Philidelphia? If so, why is it called the first merger? Is there some kind of second merger that happens?
<<It seems to me though that this word should have become [b3`r\i] in the first NURSE merger.>>
Could you tell me what the first NURSE merger is? Because I have no idea what that is. Is it the furry-ferry merger common in Philidelphia? If so, why is it called the first merger? Is there some kind of second merger that happens?
<<Is it the furry-ferry merger common in Philidelphia?>>
No, the first NURSE merger is what's also known as the "fern-fir-fur" merger, in which historical [Er.], [Ir.], [Vr.] merged into [3`]. This merger is complete in basically all dialects outside of Scottish English.
<<Is there some kind of second merger that happens?>>
Yes. The second NURSE merger is what's also known as the "hurry-furry" merger (common in all parts of North America except the Northeast US), in which [V.r] and [3`] merge into [3`].
The "ferry-furry" merger (which only occurs in the Philadelphia area) is a further merger which happens after the two NURSE mergers. In the "ferry-furry" merger, [E.r] and [3`] merge into [3`].
No, the first NURSE merger is what's also known as the "fern-fir-fur" merger, in which historical [Er.], [Ir.], [Vr.] merged into [3`]. This merger is complete in basically all dialects outside of Scottish English.
<<Is there some kind of second merger that happens?>>
Yes. The second NURSE merger is what's also known as the "hurry-furry" merger (common in all parts of North America except the Northeast US), in which [V.r] and [3`] merge into [3`].
The "ferry-furry" merger (which only occurs in the Philadelphia area) is a further merger which happens after the two NURSE mergers. In the "ferry-furry" merger, [E.r] and [3`] merge into [3`].