Consonants JU (JOD-DROPPING)

Our survey data (Nagy and Roberts 1998) show the continuing presence, mostly among older speakers, of a palatal glide or jod between alveolar consonants and [u] in words such as new [n(j)u] and Tuesday . This was also noted by Duckert (1986: 141) as a feature of rural NE speakers. Interestingly, LANE shows a preference for the jod-less pronunciation even among the oldest speakers (Kurath 1939-43: Map 4, vol. I, Part 1). Sixteen speakers from Calais, ME, surveyed in the late 1980’s showed no use of the jod in either relevant survey question (the pronunciation of during and reduce) (Miller 1989:86).