Page:A Glossary of Berkshire Words and Phrases.djvu/21

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As regards Vowels and Diphthongs the sound of e in term is often given to the letters. Thus 'farm' is pronounced verm; 'part,' pert; 'mark,' merk &c.

In words where the letter a is given the sound of aay there is also sometimes a sub-division of the word into two syllables as follows:— 'Game' is pronounced both gaayme and ge-um; 'shame,' both shaayme and she-um; 'name' both naayme and ne-um; 'face' is both vaayce and ve-us. The two pronunciations are equally common.

In a few cases only o takes the place of a, as in ronk for 'rank'; lonky for 'lanky.'

U is substituted for a thus:—We say vur instead of 'far'; scur instead of 'scar'; stur instead of 'star'; etc.

Au, as in 'sauce,' is given the sound of a in the word ; 'sauce' is pronounced zace''.

Ar is given the sound of aa: Thus 'parsnips' are called paasmips or paasmets; 'parson' becomes paason; etc.

Aw final is pronounced as ay or aa: Thus 'law' is pronounced lay or laa; 'draw' dray or draa.

I and y are commonly sounded as e: Thus we have pegs for 'pigs'; vleng for * fling ;' zence for * since.' Sometimes t has the sound of If : Thus * rabbit ' is pronounced rabbut, and * stirrup ' stwrmp.

1$ has the sound of a in *fati:* 'grieve* becomes grave; and * believe ' beiave.

O takes the sound of a very largely. * Promise' becomes pramise ; * crops ' are craps; • morning' is mamin In some cases, and always before /, it becomes aw : Thus * old ' is awld ; * roll ' rawU ; and 'toll' tawU ; etc,

O, following some consonants, is pronounced as cv : Thus « boy ' becomes 6K*a>'; * toad * becomes two-ad; and * post ' becomes pwO'Ost.

Oa takes the sound of oo, as in moor : Thus we have boor for

Jo-ad for ' load.'
 * boar '; and sometimes makes a sub-division into syllable