Elision of “it” and “what” at the beginning of sentences
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1
I am reading American Accent Training. I find sometimes either 'it' or 'what' at the beginning is omitted.
e.g.
It's in the bag. [tsinə bag]
What's in it. (Though labeled [w'ts ..] I only hear [tsini])
I have learned some rules about elision of /t/ and /h/, but I googled and failed to get rules about the elision at the beginning.
pronunciation
edited May 11 at 4:33
Chappo
3,17251727
asked May 10 at 15:10
baodi zhangbaodi zhang
61
|
show 1 more comment
1
I am reading American Accent Training. I find sometimes either 'it' or 'what' at the beginning is omitted.
e.g.
It's in the bag. [tsinə bag]
What's in it. (Though labeled [w'ts ..] I only hear [tsini])
I have learned some rules about elision of /t/ and /h/, but I googled and failed to get rules about the elision at the beginning.
pronunciation
edited May 11 at 4:33
Chappo
3,17251727
asked May 10 at 15:10
baodi zhangbaodi zhang
61
2
...and the question is?
– Cascabel
May 10 at 17:23
1
An unstressed syllable could be reduced or dropped in rapid or careless speech, but that's hardly limited to initial sounds, or to American English. Written forms like 'twas, 'tween, 'twere, and 'twixt long predate the existence of American English, suggesting an even longer tenure in spoken use.
– choster
May 10 at 17:41
1
Well, Ah do declay-uh, Dep'ty Dawg!
– Michael Harvey
May 10 at 19:58
1
This sounds like a case of Conversational Deletion, which drops dummies, auxiliaries, pronouns, complementizers, prepositions, and other predictable grammatical words at the beginning of a sentence.
– John Lawler
May 10 at 22:39
1
@John Lawler，I think you give me a clue.
– baodi zhang
May 11 at 2:54
|
show 1 more comment
1
1
1
I am reading American Accent Training. I find sometimes either 'it' or 'what' at the beginning is omitted.
e.g.
It's in the bag. [tsinə bag]
What's in it. (Though labeled [w'ts ..] I only hear [tsini])
I have learned some rules about elision of /t/ and /h/, but I googled and failed to get rules about the elision at the beginning.
pronunciation
edited May 11 at 4:33
Chappo
3,17251727
asked May 10 at 15:10
baodi zhangbaodi zhang
61
I am reading American Accent Training. I find sometimes either 'it' or 'what' at the beginning is omitted.
e.g.
It's in the bag. [tsinə bag]
What's in it. (Though labeled [w'ts ..] I only hear [tsini])
I have learned some rules about elision of /t/ and /h/, but I googled and failed to get rules about the elision at the beginning.
pronunciation
pronunciation
edited May 11 at 4:33
Chappo
3,17251727
asked May 10 at 15:10
baodi zhangbaodi zhang
61
edited May 11 at 4:33
Chappo
3,17251727
asked May 10 at 15:10
baodi zhangbaodi zhang
61
edited May 11 at 4:33
Chappo
3,17251727
edited May 11 at 4:33
Chappo
3,17251727
edited May 11 at 4:33
Chappo
3,17251727
3,17251727
asked May 10 at 15:10
baodi zhangbaodi zhang
61
asked May 10 at 15:10
baodi zhangbaodi zhang
61
asked May 10 at 15:10
baodi zhangbaodi zhang
61
61
2
...and the question is?
– Cascabel
May 10 at 17:23
1
An unstressed syllable could be reduced or dropped in rapid or careless speech, but that's hardly limited to initial sounds, or to American English. Written forms like 'twas, 'tween, 'twere, and 'twixt long predate the existence of American English, suggesting an even longer tenure in spoken use.
– choster
May 10 at 17:41
1
Well, Ah do declay-uh, Dep'ty Dawg!
– Michael Harvey
May 10 at 19:58
1
This sounds like a case of Conversational Deletion, which drops dummies, auxiliaries, pronouns, complementizers, prepositions, and other predictable grammatical words at the beginning of a sentence.
– John Lawler
May 10 at 22:39
1
@John Lawler，I think you give me a clue.
– baodi zhang
May 11 at 2:54
|
show 1 more comment
2
...and the question is?
– Cascabel
May 10 at 17:23
1
An unstressed syllable could be reduced or dropped in rapid or careless speech, but that's hardly limited to initial sounds, or to American English. Written forms like 'twas, 'tween, 'twere, and 'twixt long predate the existence of American English, suggesting an even longer tenure in spoken use.
– choster
May 10 at 17:41
1
Well, Ah do declay-uh, Dep'ty Dawg!
– Michael Harvey
May 10 at 19:58
1
This sounds like a case of Conversational Deletion, which drops dummies, auxiliaries, pronouns, complementizers, prepositions, and other predictable grammatical words at the beginning of a sentence.
– John Lawler
May 10 at 22:39
1
@John Lawler，I think you give me a clue.
– baodi zhang
May 11 at 2:54
2
2
...and the question is?
– Cascabel
May 10 at 17:23
...and the question is?
– Cascabel
May 10 at 17:23
1
1
An unstressed syllable could be reduced or dropped in rapid or careless speech, but that's hardly limited to initial sounds, or to American English. Written forms like 'twas, 'tween, 'twere, and 'twixt long predate the existence of American English, suggesting an even longer tenure in spoken use.
– choster
May 10 at 17:41
An unstressed syllable could be reduced or dropped in rapid or careless speech, but that's hardly limited to initial sounds, or to American English. Written forms like 'twas, 'tween, 'twere, and 'twixt long predate the existence of American English, suggesting an even longer tenure in spoken use.
– choster
May 10 at 17:41
1
1
Well, Ah do declay-uh, Dep'ty Dawg!
– Michael Harvey
May 10 at 19:58
Well, Ah do declay-uh, Dep'ty Dawg!
– Michael Harvey
May 10 at 19:58
1
1
This sounds like a case of Conversational Deletion, which drops dummies, auxiliaries, pronouns, complementizers, prepositions, and other predictable grammatical words at the beginning of a sentence.
– John Lawler
May 10 at 22:39
This sounds like a case of Conversational Deletion, which drops dummies, auxiliaries, pronouns, complementizers, prepositions, and other predictable grammatical words at the beginning of a sentence.
– John Lawler
May 10 at 22:39
1
1
@John Lawler，I think you give me a clue.
– baodi zhang
May 11 at 2:54
@John Lawler，I think you give me a clue.
– baodi zhang
May 11 at 2:54
|
show 1 more comment
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2
...and the question is?
– Cascabel
May 10 at 17:23
1
An unstressed syllable could be reduced or dropped in rapid or careless speech, but that's hardly limited to initial sounds, or to American English. Written forms like 'twas, 'tween, 'twere, and 'twixt long predate the existence of American English, suggesting an even longer tenure in spoken use.
– choster
May 10 at 17:41
1
Well, Ah do declay-uh, Dep'ty Dawg!
– Michael Harvey
May 10 at 19:58
1
This sounds like a case of Conversational Deletion, which drops dummies, auxiliaries, pronouns, complementizers, prepositions, and other predictable grammatical words at the beginning of a sentence.
– John Lawler
May 10 at 22:39
1
@John Lawler，I think you give me a clue.
– baodi zhang
May 11 at 2:54