Re: Yscaws

[raybrown@macline.co.uk (Raymond A. Brown)]

At 10:48 8/7/98, Andrew Smith wrote:
>Am marth, 7 Yl 1998, Iewan Llewan yscrifef:
>
>> BTW, I'm trying to figure out the characteristics of Yscaws, the
>> Irish-influenced Brithenig dialect spoken in Merseyside.
>> Details to follow.
>>
>Details of Yscaws that I have discovered are th -> d, and unvoiced stops
>-> affricates (c, p, t -> cch, pph, ts).

Where {ph} is a *bilabial* fricative (IPA phi), not the familiar [f].  I've
never heard [ts] for /t/.  One of my colleagues is "broad Scouse', tho he
'poshes it up' (to use his own phrase) so that we southerners  have some
chance of understanding him  ;-)

The thing is that the aspiration which accompanies the English voiceless
plosives in certain environments is noticeably stronger in Scouse and
becomes, in fact, a homorganic voiceless fricative off-glide.  This is most
noticeable when the plosive are final.  The off-glide of /t/, however, is
not the standard _dental_ [T] of 'think', but a homorganic alveolar
fricative which is possible why it was given as [s] by your informant. But
it's certainly not the normal English [s].

This fricative off-glide is, as I said, noticeably strong on final
consonants.  When I first heard him say 'book' it sounded just like the
German 'Buch' [bu:x] (the /u/ which developed from long closed /o:/ of
Middle English is _always_ long in northern English dialects, whereas it
has generally - though not always, e.g. 'moon' - become shortened in
southern English & all non-British dialects); but if one listens carefully
there is a short occlusion before the fricative release, i.e. [bu:kx].  But
when the plural //z// is added, _all_ other friction disappears, so that,
e.g. 'books' is [bu:ks].

> These features are common to
>both sides of the Irish sea.  You might discover other details.

Yep - vocabulary.
e.g.
ah'feller  ['a:fEl@] = father
ah'woman   ['a:wUmn] = mother

ah'  = 'old'

Of course, there are probably differences within Scouse itself.  My
informant is from Toxteth, deep in the heart of Scouseland.

Rhaifun.