Re: Grammar

On Thu, 4 Dec 2003, Holger Dansk wrote:

> On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 15:29:51 -0800, "Bill Bonde ( the oblique allusion
> in lieu of the frontal attack )"  <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> >Holger Dansk wrote:
> >>
> >> On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 09:46:45 -0800, "Bill Bonde ( the oblique allusion
> >> in lieu of the frontal attack )"  <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >Holger Dansk wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 03:39:29 GMT, "Byron Canfield"
> >> >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> >"Holger Dansk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> >> >> >news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> >> >> On Tue, 02 Dec 2003 09:54:57 -0600, Ron Hammon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >> >> >> wrote:
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >Holger Dansk wrote:
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 16:11:48 GMT, "Byron Canfield"
> >> >> >> >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> >"Holger Dansk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> >> >> >> >> >news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> >> >> >> >> On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 17:24:14 -0800, Joni Rathbun
> >> >> ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >> >> >> >> >> wrote:
> >> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> >> >In my district, immigrant children for whom English is a second
> >> >> >> >> >> >language score higher on reading/language arts measures than native
> >> >> >> >> >> >born African Americans.
> >> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> >> Many native born African Americans (negroes) don't seem to be able
> >> >> >to
> >> >> >> >> >> learn how to pronounce English even though negroes have been in this
> >> >> >> >> >> country for a couple of hundred years.
> >> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> >The operative words there are "don't seem" -- which is merely a
> >> >> >statement
> >> >> >> >> >regarding your preception, nothing more.
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >> Haven't you noticed how many negroes say...
> >> >> >> >> "Aunt" pronounced to rhyme with "up" and "but" instead of the correct
> >> >> >> >> way which rhymes with "cat" and "man", and is pronounced the same as
> >> >> >> >> ant;
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >snip
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >Lol.  The "correct way" is the same as "ant"?  This is funny.  The
> >> >> >> >"correct" way is NOT the same as "ant".  This is the only word, as far
> >> >> >> >as I know, that blacks have right.  Why do you think that there is a "u"
> >> >> >> >in there?  Before the war, "House niggers" spoke proper English in the
> >> >> >> >fine mansions of the very wealthy.  Lower-class rednecks said "ant",
> >> >> >> >"ain't", and "aunt" the same way.  The word, "aunt" is the legacy of
> >> >> >> >that time when some blacks spoke far, far better than most whites.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> Hog doo doo.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> Holger
> >> >> >
> >> >> >Such an intelligent refutation when the facts don't support your
> >> >> >preconceived
> >> >> >notions. Yeah, just toss 'em out; reality must be adusted for your sake.
> >> >>
> >> >> Click on "pronunciation" on this web page, and, while you are there,
> >> >> read the word definition if you are worried about why it's spelled with
> >> >> a "u".
> >> >>
> >> >> http://www.bartleby.com/61/25/A0522500.html
> >> >>
> >> >This is a good example. Let's look at their pronunciation key:
> >> >http://www.bartleby.com/61/12.html
> >> >
> >> >Notice how it doesn't explain how to exactly divide up vowel space but
> >> >rather uses a circular form of defining sounds by looking at other
> >> >English words that you are then to compare the sounds in question to and
> >> >get the 'correct' sound to pronounce. If you have a Boston accent, you
> >> >will just be comparing your version of the pronunciation of the example
> >> >word to get the required sound, nothing objective in that.
> >>
> >> Click on "pronunciation" like I requested above and it will run the
> >> correct pronunciation on your audio player and you can hear it.
> >>
> >It will give one or several likely very neutral examples but not the
> >only ways in which these words are spoken even in educated speech.
> >People from the Northeast don't sound like people from the Southwest
> >even though both might be educated speakers of American English.
>
> But, even though they pronounce words differently, usually,  there is
> only one correct pronunciation in the dictionary.  Click on
> "pronunciation" and listen to the correct pronunciation of aunt.
>

Yes, do. Go to http://www.m-w.com and you will find TWO buttons allowing
you to hear the correct pronounciation. One says, "ant." The other says,
"aunt."