Re: Grammar

On Wed, 3 Dec 2003, 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.

Not at the link above. At the link above - the American Heritage 2000 -
clicking pronounciation leads to the page that explains there are regional
variations. For the word four, for example, it gives us two
pronounciations...
 _
for  (o as in toe)

and

 ^
for  (o sound as in caught)