I'm curious about which parts of the US have no Canadian Raising for /aI/. I know it is not traditionally a part of GenAm and I hear American actors who lack it all the time, but it still sounds 'weird' to me. I'm likely to mistake 'right' with unraised /aI/ for 'ride'. I'm also interested in which parts have Canadian Raising for /aU/; a fairly small area, I believe. In some previous threads we've established that New England and the Upper Midwest have raising in /aU/ (at least for some speakers); are there any areas farther from Canada that have it? Is Canadian Raising in the US borrowed from Canadian English, or does it come from a shared Old World source, or is it from separate innovations in different areas? I've also read that it is spreading in the US; maybe it'll be standard in 20-50 years?
Canadian Raising
It seems to be inconsistent here. Some people have it others don't, some have it sometimes. In the SW, I don't think it exists at all. I've never heard any Southwesterner that had it on /aI/ or /aU/.
I would have to say that Canadian Raising for /aI/ is far more widespread and generally far stronger in the dialects which do have it than Canadian Raisng for /aU/ in the US. For instance, Canadian Raising for /aI/ is quite strong in my dialect, even though there are stiil some individuals who do not have it consistently here, whereas raising for /aU/ is generally quite weak even though it does occur here.
As for whether Canadian Raising is of common origin in the US and Canada, I would have to guess that the Canadian Raising in the northern US is of common origin with that in Canada. However, I know that there are Canadian Raising-like features in some dialects in the South which are likely separate from the Canadian Raising in Canada and the northern US.
As for the original origin of the Canadian Raising in Canada and the northern US, I have heard that it is most likely due to Scottish influence upon English in Canada, specifically the influence of the Scottish Vowel Length rule, which does involve alternation between [aI] and [@I] based on the fortis-lenis values of following obstruents. If this is true, then Canadian Raising in the northern US should have spread south from Canada rather than having been ancestral to English dialects spoken there.
As for whether Canadian Raising is of common origin in the US and Canada, I would have to guess that the Canadian Raising in the northern US is of common origin with that in Canada. However, I know that there are Canadian Raising-like features in some dialects in the South which are likely separate from the Canadian Raising in Canada and the northern US.
As for the original origin of the Canadian Raising in Canada and the northern US, I have heard that it is most likely due to Scottish influence upon English in Canada, specifically the influence of the Scottish Vowel Length rule, which does involve alternation between [aI] and [@I] based on the fortis-lenis values of following obstruents. If this is true, then Canadian Raising in the northern US should have spread south from Canada rather than having been ancestral to English dialects spoken there.
I have Canadian raising for both /aI/ and /aU/, but I think the areas that lack /aI/ raising are the Southwest, California, most of the Southeast, and probably most the lower Midwest.
The traditional Tidewater accent seems to have both variations of Canadian raising, but from what I have heard, the raising is stronger with /aU/. Canadian raising seems to be absent entirely from other areas in the Southern United States. As Travis pointed out, this is probably due to the influence from Scottish and West Country English settlers.
The UP in Michigan, Northern Minnesota, Northern North Dakota, and parts of Wisconsin have both variations to some degree, but it doesn't seem to be nearly as pronounced as the variation found in Central and Eastern Canada. In the Pacific Northwest, the raising of /aI/ is much more common, but it is disappearing from Southern Washington and Oregon. You will find mild variations of both in Northern Washington and probably Northern Montana. However, as I said in an earlier post, I do not know much about the dialects of Northern Idaho and Northern Montana. Of course, Canadian raising in southern British Columbia seems to very light compared to Alberta and the provinces east of Alberta.
The traditional Tidewater accent seems to have both variations of Canadian raising, but from what I have heard, the raising is stronger with /aU/. Canadian raising seems to be absent entirely from other areas in the Southern United States. As Travis pointed out, this is probably due to the influence from Scottish and West Country English settlers.
The UP in Michigan, Northern Minnesota, Northern North Dakota, and parts of Wisconsin have both variations to some degree, but it doesn't seem to be nearly as pronounced as the variation found in Central and Eastern Canada. In the Pacific Northwest, the raising of /aI/ is much more common, but it is disappearing from Southern Washington and Oregon. You will find mild variations of both in Northern Washington and probably Northern Montana. However, as I said in an earlier post, I do not know much about the dialects of Northern Idaho and Northern Montana. Of course, Canadian raising in southern British Columbia seems to very light compared to Alberta and the provinces east of Alberta.
>> Of course, Canadian raising in southern British Columbia seems to very light compared to Alberta and the provinces east of Alberta. <<
Yes, I've noticed this too. Many of my friends from Vancouver seem to completely lack Canadian raising for /aU/, and some even for /aI/. It seems to be mostly the younger speakers. Does this mean that it is an innovation--is this a new thing, or was it always like that in lower mainland BC?
Yes, I've noticed this too. Many of my friends from Vancouver seem to completely lack Canadian raising for /aU/, and some even for /aI/. It seems to be mostly the younger speakers. Does this mean that it is an innovation--is this a new thing, or was it always like that in lower mainland BC?
<<I'm likely to mistake 'right' with unraised /aI/ for 'ride'.>>
Yeah, one time I was watching a TV show in which someone said "writers", and for a moment I mistook it for "riders".
As Shatnerian points out, there are parts of coastal Virginia where Canadian Raising occurs for /aU/ (but not necessarily for /aI/). But regardless, I'm pretty sure that the area of /aU/-raising in the US is smaller than the area of /aI/-raising.
/aI/ raising is quite widespread; I've read personal accounts attesting that it's common at least as far south as New Jersey.
As for areas where Canadian Raising absent, Kirk from California said that he had no Candian Raising at all.
Yeah, one time I was watching a TV show in which someone said "writers", and for a moment I mistook it for "riders".
As Shatnerian points out, there are parts of coastal Virginia where Canadian Raising occurs for /aU/ (but not necessarily for /aI/). But regardless, I'm pretty sure that the area of /aU/-raising in the US is smaller than the area of /aI/-raising.
/aI/ raising is quite widespread; I've read personal accounts attesting that it's common at least as far south as New Jersey.
As for areas where Canadian Raising absent, Kirk from California said that he had no Candian Raising at all.
>> As Shatnerian points out, there are parts of coastal Virginia where Canadian Raising occurs for /aU/ (but not necessarily for /aI/) <<
But don't they simply monophthongize it to /a/ rather than pronouncing it /@U/ or /EU/?
But don't they simply monophthongize it to /a/ rather than pronouncing it /@U/ or /EU/?
Actually, this source ( http://books.google.com/books?id=q9s3pLO-y5gC&pg=PA330&lpg=PA330&dq=%22canadian+raising%22+tidewater+virginia&source=web&ots=o67lIdIFdw&sig=QuPrv5K5wxHvWrmjnVHdC2tpDUU ) indicates that the Tidewater dialect has Canadian Raising for both /aI/ and /aU/.
As for whether they monophthongize /aU/ to [a], I've never seen any source that says that they do that. Everything that I've seen has said that they use a raised diphthong.
As for whether they monophthongize /aU/ to [a], I've never seen any source that says that they do that. Everything that I've seen has said that they use a raised diphthong.
Virginia Senator John Warner speaks with a Tidewater accent. I have enclosed a link to a six-minute video of him talking.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay8Q3H8ICnw
Observations:
He seems to have Canadian raising for the words "house" and "out", but not "thousand".
I did not hear any clear examples of Canadian raising for /aI/.
He doesn't seem to be cot/caught merged. However, he could be transitional.
He pronounces "ten" as [tIn].
He is mostly non-rhotic.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay8Q3H8ICnw
Observations:
He seems to have Canadian raising for the words "house" and "out", but not "thousand".
I did not hear any clear examples of Canadian raising for /aI/.
He doesn't seem to be cot/caught merged. However, he could be transitional.
He pronounces "ten" as [tIn].
He is mostly non-rhotic.
>>Many of my friends from Vancouver seem to completely lack Canadian raising for /aU/, and some even for /aI/. It seems to be mostly the younger speakers. Does this mean that it is an innovation--is this a new thing, or was it always like that in lower mainland BC?<<
I want to say that it is new, because many older speakers are still likely to have a more Conservative variety of Canadian raising. However, I would still say that the variety of Canadian raising in speakers from Victoria and Vancouver that were born before about 1960 is a bit lighter compared to those from other parts of the country. I think that once you go further north--starting at about Prince George, British Columbia, the Canadian raising becomes more prominent.
I am not quite sure why it has declined. Vancouver has a significant film industry; therefore, I suppose a lot of it has to do with both film and television.
I want to say that it is new, because many older speakers are still likely to have a more Conservative variety of Canadian raising. However, I would still say that the variety of Canadian raising in speakers from Victoria and Vancouver that were born before about 1960 is a bit lighter compared to those from other parts of the country. I think that once you go further north--starting at about Prince George, British Columbia, the Canadian raising becomes more prominent.
I am not quite sure why it has declined. Vancouver has a significant film industry; therefore, I suppose a lot of it has to do with both film and television.
Senator Warner's accent is very watered-down, probably from years of osmosis from living away from home.
I've heard pure Tidewater; indeed, there is raising for "house" and "about". John Warner is more rhotic than pure Tidewater, which is fully non-rhotic. Mr. Warner's long-i sounds are even dipthongized in many cases, which is not a Tidewater feature.
I've heard pure Tidewater; indeed, there is raising for "house" and "about". John Warner is more rhotic than pure Tidewater, which is fully non-rhotic. Mr. Warner's long-i sounds are even dipthongized in many cases, which is not a Tidewater feature.
The idea that Canadian Raising is receding in the Pacific Northwest strikes me as somewhat weird, considering that here in the eastern US Canadian Raising seems to be spreading southward over time, with many older people preserving unraised pronunciations of /aI/ but raised pronunciations of /aI/ seemingly being quite common amongst younger individuals throughout the northern half of the eastern US. (Note that here, though, at least people of my parents' generation normally raise /aI/ even though sporadic non-raising of /aI/ can still be heard amongst such individuals.)
>> but raised pronunciations of /aI/ seemingly being quite common amongst younger individuals <<
Interesting. But, yeah, I haven't met many people in the Pacific Northwest (except for northern BC) that have it consistently (even on /aI/). Both older and younger speakers will often use unraised /aI/ and /aU/.
Interesting. But, yeah, I haven't met many people in the Pacific Northwest (except for northern BC) that have it consistently (even on /aI/). Both older and younger speakers will often use unraised /aI/ and /aU/.
<<(Note that here, though, at least people of my parents' generation normally raise /aI/ even though sporadic non-raising of /aI/ can still be heard amongst such individuals.)>>
Here in the Worcester area, I've heard a lot of middle-aged people raise /aI/ and /aU/.
Here in the Worcester area, I've heard a lot of middle-aged people raise /aI/ and /aU/.