#73822
06/20/2002 12:44 PM
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1 |
I'm from Nova Scotia and in the past couple of years have lived in the Southern USA and I am currently living in Ontario. As you can imagine I have heard more than a few comments about how I am mispronouncing words (such as south, doubt, out...etc). Normally I don't mind, but there's this smug little wench at my work that is constantly getting me to say 'aunt' for other people because she gets a kick out of it. I say it like 'ont' and for some reason that's hilarious. Upper Canadians, go figure...
Anyways, when I look at the word 'aunt' it looks like it should be pronounced similar to autumn or automobile - not ant. What's the deal with that anyways?
Thanks,
Merch
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#73823
06/20/2002 12:55 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear merch: people who have never been a huncred miles from home find accents amusing. I was born and raised in Massachusetts, south of 'Boston;. I get kidded a lot about my accent. I'm happy for the idiots so easily amused. I pronounce 'aunt" like "aren't". Not like insects. Bill
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#73824
06/20/2002 1:32 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Merch, you think you've got problems? The maternal and paternal sides of my own family pronounce "aunt" differently. I have to remember which side I'm talking to. The paternal side pronounces it "ant" and the maternal side pronounces it "awwnt." And both sides are from the same county in Virginia. Go figure.
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#73825
06/20/2002 2:03 PM
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
Hi merch - welcome to AWADtalk! I think I'm with WordWind, above, or at least one side of her family: I think I say "awwnt." However, before I saw that spelling, I would have rendered my pronunciation as "ahnt" - which might even be close to "ont," I don't know. Eh, variety is the spice of life! and as wwh (Bill!) points out above, accents are only funny to people who've never been more than 100 miles from home. Such people are funny to those of us with "funny" accents who DO roam about a bit.  Let us go in peace to love and serve the board.
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#73826
06/20/2002 2:40 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346 |
'aunt" like "aren't"Yep, I reckon that's about how most Southern (English) Brits would say it, maybe just a touch more "ahhnt". So of course that's the proper way for everyone in the world to say it, merch.  Fisk
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#73827
06/20/2002 2:49 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear Fisk: There really isn't any difference between New England "aren't" and your "ahnnt". Bostonians get razzed about not being able to pronounce "r".
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#73828
06/20/2002 2:54 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
MG:
I agree with your disctinction between aw and ah. There's a big differentce between awwnt and ahhnt. Awwnt has a little more of a chug at the back of the throat when you say it. The mouth is open slightly more for ahhnt.
If I pretend I'm at the doctor's office and just say "Ah"--a nice, long, continuous "Ah"--well, and I put that in first position for "aunt" (i.e., ahnt), the final product is soft and sweet--and also sounds nothing like the way my mom's side of the family pronounces "Aunt."
"Aw," on the other hands, requires that the mouth doesn't open quite as far as for "ah"--and when I say "aw" over and over and compare how it feels coming out to "ah" over and over, I'm struck with "aw's" having produced more vibrations I can feel in my mouth and throat. Wish I had a throat-vibrations-counting machine to test my hypothesis.
My mom's family definitely says, "Awwnt" or "Awnt" or "Ont," but not your "Ahnt," which sounds more refined and prettier to my ear.
I cannot believe I've sat here blathering about aw and ah.
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#73829
06/20/2002 3:07 PM
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
I cannot believe I've sat here blathering about aw and ah.I can't believe I've sat here saying, "aw, aw, aw, ah, ah, ah"!  What a great shibboleth "aunt" could be....! Let us go in peace to love and serve the board.
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#73830
06/20/2002 7:14 PM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
Welcome Merch to our somewhat whacky band of linguaphiles!
There was a long thread some time ago that started with the pronunciation of aunt and went on to a lot of other stuff>
It was fun but try as I may I cannot find it!
Maybe it had an odd heading. Oh, well {sigh}
I have been taking a razzing for years about my accent any time I am more than 100 miles from Boston! On the Other hand, I have met some super people who were attracted by the accent and struck up a conversation.
Don't let the co-worker bother you, she will get over it or other co-workers will let her know the joke's getting old! In the meanwhile you maintain a reputation for being a perfect Lady (?) gentleman (?) as the gender may be!
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#73831
06/20/2002 9:03 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 872
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 872 |
Southern Brits say aunt "aren't" with a touch of"ahhnt".
So of course that's the proper way for everyone in the world to say it, merch. - Fishonabike Ah yes, merch, one would talk such in the glory days, back before one day the sun sot on an empire misplaced. In quick keen modern times we have two ways to pronounce "aunt" developed with economy by the good folks of the central Alabama rural south. (1) Common, used by poor people both black and white. AUNT : n. two syllables pronounced ahn-tee. usageProper; That there is my ahn-tee. Improper; That there is my ahn-tee Ruth. (too many syllables instead just say, That there is Ruth.) (2) People of High Culture (wealth): used by both black and white. AUNT : proper noun and title. one syllable pronounced ain't. usageProper; She is my aint. (meaning she is) Proper; She is my aint Ruth. (meaning she is indeed Aunt Ruth.
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#73832
06/21/2002 9:52 AM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346 |
Proper; She is my aint. (meaning she is) Love this.
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