Pronunciation in Upstate New York (VI)

Abstract

The vowel [i] is relatively stable in upstate New York. It shares, to be sure, the tendency of all English tense vowels to diphthongize when lengthened, but is probably less diphthongal than in most dialects. When diphthongized, it usually occurs as [Ii]. In my records, creek appears 173 times with [i] and 8o times with [i]; the spelling doubtless accounts for some of this prepondernce. Sleek is uniformly [slik], the related [slik] having acquired its own spelling slick. Breeches shows a slight preponderance of [i] over [i]; handkerchief normally has [i] in the last syllable, though [i] is occasionally heard; both these words are, however, but scantily represented in my records. Mischievous occasionally occurs in the common colloquial form [mIs'tfivas], but not as [mis'tfivias]. Deaf appears 33 times with [i] and 171 times with [e]; here the influence of the spelling is negligible; the old form [dif] is dying out except in remote districts. Leisure is normally [liar] rather than [lear]; economic appears about as frequently wi h [i] as with [e]; both these words are lso scantily represented in my records. Medieval, a relatively unfamiliar word to some of the speakers, appears as [,midi'ivl], [,medi'ivl], [,midi'ivl], [mi'divl], and [ma'divl]. Either and neither are normally [i5r] and [niNr]. Older people occasionally pronounce pe nies as [pi'ouniz], ['paianiz], or ['painiz]. Theresa, a small town in Jefferson County, is locally [Oa'risa]. The vowel [i] is relatively stable except for the centralizing tendency already noted. Been appears in my rec-