Taking Pol(gl)ish seriously
In this lecture I take a look at some of the most common Polglish (Polish-English interlanguage) phonetic errors and their causes. Types of pronunciation error are first briefly summarized, then some recurrent Polglish errors are taken for closer scrutiny: those having to do with voicing, vowel hiatus and wholesale neutralization of basic vocalic contrasts. A list of common quasi-homophones in Polglish is presented and discussed ( e.g. buck-bark, bed-bird, they-their-the, etc.)
In the example below some English words are presented which are prone to Polglish voicing errors due to the interference of the Polish regressive cluster devoicing rule.
INTRAMORPHEMIC:
magpie, vodka, abhor, absent, absolute, abstinence, abstract, lobster, obstacle, obstinate, obtain, subsidy, substance, amidst, medicine (/-ds-/)
CROSS-MORPHEMIC:
/-dp-/: bedpan, codpiece, deadpan, godparent, headpiece, sandpaper, sandpit, soundproof, standpoint, windpipe, woodpecker, woodpile.
/-dk-/: Didcot, Radcliffe, bedclothes, birdcage, breadcrumb, handcart, handcuff, hardcover, redcoat, sidecar, weedkiller, wildcat, woodcock, woodcraft, woodcut.
/-df-/: Bedford, Bradford, Godfrey, blindfold, codfish, dreadful, godfather, goldfield, goldfish, headphones, mindful, steadfast, swordfish.
/-bs-/: Hobson, abstinence, abstract, , kerbstone, lobster, mobster, obstacle, obstinate, subscript, subsection, substance, substation, substitute.
/-ds-/: bandstand, bedspread, bloodstain, bloodsucker, broadside, foodstuff, godsend, goldsmith, grindstone, handsaw, headset, hindsight, landscape, maidservant, redskin, roadside, sandstone, sandstorm, sidestep, toadstool, widespread, windscreen, yardstick.
/-dS-/: Oxfordshire, bloodshed, bloodshot, comradeship, friendship, handshake, sideshow, windshield.
/-dh-/: Guildhall, bloodhound, guildhall, madhouse, redhead.