Everyone lazing away today? Nothing wrong with that, if so. We made a lightning trip to the Bay Area yesterday, and were amazed to see that there was not the slightest bit of green on the hillsides; they should be completely green now. There was also smoke most of the way, from fires in the mountains, albeit light. Last night we saw a deer grazing outside our back fence; Naomi and Miyoko saw a pair of them grazing there about ten days ago. We suspect that lack of food is driving them closer to human habitations.
On a happier note, or neutral anyway, here are my Mary/marry/merry word lists for review by anyone (listener? Cat?) for whom they are not all merged. There may be some errors, and there may be some differences between UK and New England pronunciations even when they are not merged; in such cases I did my best to select the UK version of the vowel (but plan to use the US stress--gotta keep 'em guessin'). ---Alan
Mâry (meə.ri) -air/-eir/-ar + vowel [as in “square”] care, caring aware fare hair, hairy bear chair prayer vary fairy various precarious barbarian parent mare Carey their fair, fairing dairy declare Sarah Aaron declare despair garish compare share, sharing scary
===================================
mărry (mær.i) -arr- [as in “cat”] parity carry Carrie Harry Larry barrel narrate wheelbarrow sparrow harridan harry, harrier harrow transparent apparent parish arid Carol comparison circularity parry Gareth Paris clarity Gary Barry
============================
=============================== mĕrry (mer.i) -err- [as in “bet”] claret America error bury ferry beryl cherry very imperative heron Jerry Terry Kerry prosperity perish ferrule feral Derry Erin perry, Perry -ary, -ery herring skerry
==================
Initial drill: Mary, hairy, fairy (long vowel as in air, bear) Marry, Harry, carry (short vowel as in fat, cat) Merry, berry, Terry (short vowel as in get, wet)
I arranged the lists in a table, but didn't figure I could post that here and undid it, so the juxtapositions are not obvious. I rather like my last addition--scary vs. skerry. I will probably have to exaggerate the differences for a while, until they become automatic. I also must train myself to "hear" them when reading. Should be good fun, help to keep my central nervous system tuned up. (Hey, some people work crossword or sudoku puzzles.) With a bit of luck I may occasionally puzzle the dickens out of someone who tries to place my accent, which would please my contrary nature. And I think I'm going to watch the second Harry Potter movie tonight.
Thinking of *Hărry* Potter (not to be confused with Hairy Potter or Herry Potter), I keep listening in the movie(s) for the distinction, but find it hard to perceive; the vowel sound is probably rather shortened, and more importantly my mind probably processes it into a perception of "Herry" (as in "herring") because that is what I have expected for a lifetime.
Listen for where Harry's mates say his name with an edge of annoyance. That's when they drag out the vowel sound so you can hear it properly. A British trait of accent. :-)
Zounds! Howard Dean!
ReplyDeleteEveryone lazing away today? Nothing wrong with that, if so. We made a lightning trip to the Bay Area yesterday, and were amazed to see that there was not the slightest bit of green on the hillsides; they should be completely green now. There was also smoke most of the way, from fires in the mountains, albeit light. Last night we saw a deer grazing outside our back fence; Naomi and Miyoko saw a pair of them grazing there about ten days ago. We suspect that lack of food is driving them closer to human habitations.
On a happier note, or neutral anyway, here are my Mary/marry/merry word lists for review by anyone (listener? Cat?) for whom they are not all merged. There may be some errors, and there may be some differences between UK and New England pronunciations even when they are not merged; in such cases I did my best to select the UK version of the vowel (but plan to use the US stress--gotta keep 'em guessin'). ---Alan
Mâry (meə.ri)
-air/-eir/-ar + vowel
[as in “square”]
care, caring
aware
fare
hair, hairy
bear
chair
prayer
vary
fairy
various
precarious
barbarian
parent
mare
Carey
their
fair, fairing
dairy
declare
Sarah
Aaron
declare
despair
garish
compare
share, sharing
scary
===================================
mărry (mær.i)
-arr-
[as in “cat”]
parity
carry
Carrie
Harry
Larry
barrel
narrate
wheelbarrow
sparrow
harridan
harry, harrier
harrow
transparent
apparent
parish
arid
Carol
comparison
circularity
parry
Gareth
Paris
clarity
Gary
Barry
============================
===============================
mĕrry (mer.i)
-err-
[as in “bet”]
claret
America
error
bury
ferry
beryl
cherry
very
imperative
heron
Jerry
Terry
Kerry
prosperity
perish
ferrule
feral
Derry
Erin
perry, Perry
-ary, -ery
herring
skerry
==================
Initial drill:
Mary, hairy, fairy (long vowel as in air, bear)
Marry, Harry, carry (short vowel as in fat, cat)
Merry, berry, Terry (short vowel as in get, wet)
Love you, Alan. Good luck on your journey.
ReplyDeleteI arranged the lists in a table, but didn't figure I could post that here and undid it, so the juxtapositions are not obvious. I rather like my last addition--scary vs. skerry. I will probably have to exaggerate the differences for a while, until they become automatic. I also must train myself to "hear" them when reading. Should be good fun, help to keep my central nervous system tuned up. (Hey, some people work crossword or sudoku puzzles.) With a bit of luck I may occasionally puzzle the dickens out of someone who tries to place my accent, which would please my contrary nature. And I think I'm going to watch the second Harry Potter movie tonight.
Delete--Alan
Thinking of *Hărry* Potter (not to be confused with Hairy Potter or Herry Potter), I keep listening in the movie(s) for the distinction, but find it hard to perceive; the vowel sound is probably rather shortened, and more importantly my mind probably processes it into a perception of "Herry" (as in "herring") because that is what I have expected for a lifetime.
Delete--Alan
Listen for where Harry's mates say his name with an edge of annoyance. That's when they drag out the vowel sound so you can hear it properly. A British trait of accent. :-)
DeleteTwo photos that give some idea of the drought in and near California [Click]. When looking at them bear in mind that the snowfall in 2013 was considerably less than the historical average.
ReplyDelete--Alan