I had a hearing test yesterday (aftermath of an ear infection). I did good on the test. Yes, I felt like a schoolkid.
Part of the test had a recorded voice asking the testee to repeat a word: “Say the word ______.” I was amused to hear the voice say “Say the word wheat,” pronouncing wheat /hwēt/. I said /wēt/. The doctor was amused when I pointed out, post-test, the difference. I trust I received full credit for my answer.
The shift from /hwēt/ to /wēt/ is an instance of what’s called the wine-whine merger, aka glide cluster reduction. An undated map from UPenn shows the /hw~w/ distinction as “completely absent from New York State.” It was certainly absent from Brooklyn, /wich/ is /wer/ I learned to /tawk/.
Friday, February 25, 2022
A wine–whine merger
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comments: 4
I am using the comments to head off the joke about how old people and wine: whine, whine, whine.
Since I'm re-reading Beowulf (in translation) my immediate thought was "hwæt!"
It wouldn't have occurred to me that "wheat" could be pronounced any other way than "/wēt/."
I am a proud upstate NYer who hears/speaks no difference on this one.
I also grew up with no difference among merry/marry/Mary, either. I learned that from my downstate friends while in college, so I can hear it now. Though I don't think I say the words that way unless I try.
Chris, I’ve been thinking of Old English now every time I remind myself that we need to buy wheat bread.
Pat, I remember my surprise when I learned that some people pronounce the three ems the same way. It makes a fun party trick for everyone in a classroom. (As did my alleged accent.)
There appear to be many rabbit holes related to the wine–whine merger. Here’s one.
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