Spoken English II
the values of the following: - b, d, f, g, h, k, 1, m, n, p, r, s, t, V, w,
z.
This leaves c~ j~ q~ x undisposed of. We also have y, which is not
required as a vowel-symbol in English. If we allow y to retain its
present value, we can also retain j as a convenient abbreviation of
dzh. For tsh we have ch, which, by the omission of the superfluous
h, can be reduced simply to c. We thus have c andj perfectly paral-
lel. q may very well be taken to represent the back nasal ng. X
lastly, if employed at all, must in consistency be extended to all kss
in the language, not only in such words as six, but also in rex
(wrecks), cex (cheques) and c.
These contractions fully counterbalance the necessity of retaining
the digraphs th and sh, to which must of course be added dh and
zh. Wh is very generally made into w in Southern English, but it is
well to keep up the distinction on the chance of its being after-
wards revived. The breath yh sometimes occurs in such words as
'hue' (yhuu), more commonly, however, pronounced hyuu, with a
separate h before the y.
Consonants are often dropped in English. Thus the h of the per-
sonal pronouns is generally dropped when they come after a verb
and are unaccented, as in ai sao im (I saw him). Saw her and soar
are both pronounced sao. The d of and is generally dropped be-
fore a consonant, as in ct n em gen (cut and come again), where
the vowel is dropped also on account of the t and n.
Assimilations also occur in rapid speech. Thus, many people who
pronounce the q of 'going' and c. quite distinctly in most cases,
regularly change the back into the point nasal (n), when it is fol-
lowed by a point consonant (t, d, n), as ingouin t ... (going to ... ).
In I can~t go the t is generally dropped and the point nasal is often
assimilated to the g by being made into the back nasal q -ai kaaq
gou.
coco
(coco)
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