Southern pronunciation of "lever" and "either

A forum for discussing US dialects (accents).
alby3
Junior Lexiterian
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 5:54 pm

Southern pronunciation of "lever" and "either

Postby alby3 » Thu Sep 02, 2010 11:17 am

Hi there,

I'm new to this forum, a Westerner born and bred, but I've got grandparents from the north (Michigan) and grandparents from the South (Arkansas).

I've got a question about whether a Southerner--from Mississippi in particular--would say LEEV-ur or LEV-ur and EETH-ur or EYE-thur?

What do you say?

Thanks!

Alby

User avatar
Slava
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 8040
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:31 am
Location: Finger Lakes, NY

Postby Slava » Sat Sep 25, 2010 9:18 pm

I can't answer for Mississippi, but as a transplanted Nashvillian in Upstate NY, I'd go for both pronunciations. I can see myself using both, depending on the situation and the sentence structure.

There are those out there that would drop the final "r," though.

Where be our "Suthreners" to answer this one?
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

Perry
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 2306
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:50 am
Location: Asheville, NC

Postby Perry » Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:15 am

I grew up in Michigan (but haven't lived there since 1976). I say lee-vur. But I also say lev-er-uge. I don't know if this is just me, or typical for Michiganders.
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
Anonymous

User avatar
Slava
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 8040
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:31 am
Location: Finger Lakes, NY

Postby Slava » Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:19 am

I grew up in Michigan (but haven't lived there since 1976). I say lee-vur. But I also say lev-er-uge. I don't know if this is just me, or typical for Michiganders.
I wonder how the Michigeese pronounce things, too.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

skinem
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1197
Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:33 pm
Location: Middle Tennessee

Re: Southern pronunciation of "lever" and "ei

Postby skinem » Fri Oct 01, 2010 8:51 pm

Hi there,

I'm new to this forum, a Westerner born and bred, but I've got grandparents from the north (Michigan) and grandparents from the South (Arkansas).

I've got a question about whether a Southerner--from Mississippi in particular--would say LEEV-ur or LEV-ur and EETH-ur or EYE-thur?

What do you say?

Thanks!

Alby
Mississippi born, now living in a neighboring state...you hear it both ways by natives and imports alike.

Most commonly heard LEEV- and EETH--.

Of course, your mileage may vary.

Stargzer
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 2578
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:56 pm
Location: Crownsville, MD

Postby Stargzer » Sat Oct 02, 2010 10:28 pm

In thinking about it, I tend to say "LEE-ver" if it's a control of some sort ("Pull back on the LEEver to put the snow-blower in gear."), but "LEH-ver" I'm talking about the bar used with a fulcrum to move something large or heavy ("Get me a 4-by-4 to use as a LEHver to pull this stump out.").
Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee


Return to “The Rebel-Yankee Test”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests