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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Is pronouncing the "g" in "sing" regional or cultural?
My aunt was Jewish, and a notable aspect of one of my cousin's accent was that she pronounced the "g" in words like "sing" the sound was the same as the "g" in "England". I don't recall her two sisters doing the same, but I knew them less well. (I also can't recall how my aunt pronounced such words.)
Lacking anything else to go on, I always figured that this was a marker from my cousin's Jewish background, but seem to recall being told many years ago that the two don't correlate at all.
But now I've heard a track by Janis Ian "I Hear You Sing Again" (which can be heard at http://www.janisian.com/mp3 downloads.html) and she clearly sounds the "g" in "sing". I believe Ian is Jewish (original surname "Fink"), but from a farm in New Jersey so the only link between her and my cousin is the Jewishness.
Is sounding the "g" in "sing" Jewish, or a regional quirk?
Cheers, Harvey
Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years;
Southern England for the past 22 years.
(for e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van)
Lacking anything else to go on, I always figured that this was a marker from my cousin's Jewish background, but seem to recall being told many years ago that the two don't correlate at all.
But now I've heard a track by Janis Ian "I Hear You Sing Again" (which can be heard at http://www.janisian.com/mp3 downloads.html) and she clearly sounds the "g" in "sing". I believe Ian is Jewish (original surname "Fink"), but from a farm in New Jersey so the only link between her and my cousin is the Jewishness.
Is sounding the "g" in "sing" Jewish, or a regional quirk?
Cheers, Harvey
Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years;
Southern England for the past 22 years.
(for e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van)
Top answer
[nq:1]My aunt was Jewish, and a notable aspect of one of my cousin's accent was that she pronounced the "g" ... link between her and my cousin is the Jewishness. [/nq] In Lamerica it's a feature that has been associated with some Ashkenazic speakers in the New York City area (Largest Speech Community in America) this is what's behind jokes about "Lawn Guyland" and so forth.
- [nq:1]My aunt was Jewish, and a notable aspect of one of my cousin's accent was that she pronounced the "g" ...
- link between her and my cousin is the Jewishness.
- [/nq] In Lamerica it's a feature that has been associated with some Ashkenazic speakers in the New York City area (Largest Speech Community in America) this is what's behind jokes about "Lawn Guyland" and so forth.
- I personally have noticed it, but I don't think it's extremely prevalent except among speakers who already had very strong regional accents, if you follow me.
- I've noticed some non-Ashkenazic Lamerican speakers using (Ng) for /N/ too, but I think it's generally just an idiolectal quirk.
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138 Answers
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[nq:1]My aunt was Jewish, and a notable aspect of one of my cousin's accent was that she pronounced the "g" ... link between her and my cousin is the Jewishness. Is sounding the "g" in "sing" Jewish, or a regional quirk?[/nq]
In Lamerica it's a feature that has been associated with some Ashkenazic speakers in the New York City area (Largest Speech Community in America) this is what's behind jo
In Lamerica it's a feature that has been associated with some Ashkenazic speakers in the New York City area (Largest Speech Community in America) this is what's behind jo
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[nq:1]Subject: Is pronouncing the "g" in "sing" regional or cultural? From: Harvey Van Sickle Is sounding the "g" in "sing" Jewish, or a regional quirk[/nq]
A friend of mine from Doncaster (England) pronounces the "g" in words like that. Here it's a regional thing.
Peasemarch.
A friend of mine from Doncaster (England) pronounces the "g" in words like that. Here it's a regional thing.
Peasemarch.
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[nq:1]Is sounding the "g" in "sing" Jewish, or a regional quirk?[/nq]
Certain regional accents in northern England always realise /N/ as /Ng/. You don't say anything about the provenance of your Jewish relatives, so I don't know if this has any relevance.
Regards,
Mark Barratt
Certain regional accents in northern England always realise /N/ as /Ng/. You don't say anything about the provenance of your Jewish relatives, so I don't know if this has any relevance.
Regards,
Mark Barratt
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This late afternoon GMT, Areff (Email Removed) wrote, in part, regarding /Ng/:
[nq:1]In Lamerica it's a feature that has been associated with some Ashkenazic speakers in the New York City area (Largest ... have noticed it, but I don't think it's extremely prevalent except among speakers who already had very strong regional accents[/nq]
Aha! My phonetics teacher when I took phonetics in col
[nq:1]In Lamerica it's a feature that has been associated with some Ashkenazic speakers in the New York City area (Largest ... have noticed it, but I don't think it's extremely prevalent except among speakers who already had very strong regional accents[/nq]
Aha! My phonetics teacher when I took phonetics in col
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[nq:1]My aunt was Jewish, and a notable aspect of one of my cousin's accent was that she pronounced the "g" ... link between her and my cousin is the Jewishness. Is sounding the "g" in "sing" Jewish, or a regional quirk?[/nq]
Regional, I'd say. Jewish people of my acquaintance from the north of England do so but I'm a Londoner and I don't.
Fairly unusual to find Jews who farm in New Jersey
Regional, I'd say. Jewish people of my acquaintance from the north of England do so but I'm a Londoner and I don't.
Fairly unusual to find Jews who farm in New Jersey
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[nq:2]Subject: Is pronouncing the "g" in "sing" regional or cultural? From: Harvey Van Sickle Is sounding the "g" in "sing" Jewish, or a regional quirk[/nq]
[nq:1]A friend of mine from Doncaster (England) pronounces the "g" in words like that. Here it's a regional thing.[/nq]
Don't they also do it up Sheffield way?
[nq:1]A friend of mine from Doncaster (England) pronounces the "g" in words like that. Here it's a regional thing.[/nq]
Don't they also do it up Sheffield way?
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[nq:2]A friend of mine from Doncaster (England) pronounces the "g" in words like that. Here it's a regional thing.[/nq]
[nq:1]Don't they also do it up Sheffield way?[/nq]
Isn't it mostly associated with Burr-bid-gum, though? Whenever I hear it I'm reminded of Beryl Reid's Marlene.
Ross Howard
[nq:1]Don't they also do it up Sheffield way?[/nq]
Isn't it mostly associated with Burr-bid-gum, though? Whenever I hear it I'm reminded of Beryl Reid's Marlene.
Ross Howard
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[nq:2]Don't they also do it up Sheffield way?[/nq]
[nq:1]Isn't it mostly associated with Burr-bid-gum, though? Whenever I hear it I'm reminded of Beryl Reid's Marlene. Ross Howard[/nq]
Yes, it's not pronounced only in Doncaster, of course. And even in the areas where the "g" is pronounced, many people, perhaps most, won't pronounce it. Sheffield has a surprising variety of accents.
[nq:1]Isn't it mostly associated with Burr-bid-gum, though? Whenever I hear it I'm reminded of Beryl Reid's Marlene. Ross Howard[/nq]
Yes, it's not pronounced only in Doncaster, of course. And even in the areas where the "g" is pronounced, many people, perhaps most, won't pronounce it. Sheffield has a surprising variety of accents.
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Mark Barratt filted:
[nq:2]Is sounding the "g" in "sing" Jewish, or a regional quirk?[/nq]
[nq:1]Certain regional accents in northern England always realise /N/ as /Ng/. You don't say anything about the provenance of your Jewish relatives, so I don't know if this has any relevance.[/nq]
Scouse included?...George Harrison in "Old Brown Shoe" rhymes "singer" with "finger", which by me is
[nq:2]Is sounding the "g" in "sing" Jewish, or a regional quirk?[/nq]
[nq:1]Certain regional accents in northern England always realise /N/ as /Ng/. You don't say anything about the provenance of your Jewish relatives, so I don't know if this has any relevance.[/nq]
Scouse included?...George Harrison in "Old Brown Shoe" rhymes "singer" with "finger", which by me is
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[nq:2]Is sounding the "g" in "sing" Jewish, or a regional quirk?[/nq]
[nq:1]Certain regional accents in northern England always realise /N/ as /Ng/. You don't say anything about the provenance of your Jewish relatives, so I don't know if this has any relevance.[/nq]
Winnipeg born and bred. (The non-Jewish father my uncle was the son of a Mancunian my grandfather but neither of them pronoun
[nq:1]Certain regional accents in northern England always realise /N/ as /Ng/. You don't say anything about the provenance of your Jewish relatives, so I don't know if this has any relevance.[/nq]
Winnipeg born and bred. (The non-Jewish father my uncle was the son of a Mancunian my grandfather but neither of them pronoun
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