Phonological History of English High Front Vowels/met-mat Merger

Famous quotes containing the words history, english, high, front and/or vowels:

    In history an additional result is commonly produced by human actions beyond that which they aim at and obtain—that which they immediately recognize and desire. They gratify their own interest; but something further is thereby accomplished, latent in the actions in question, though not present to their consciousness, and not included in their design.
    Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831)

    Six hours for a man, seven for a woman, and eight for a fool.
    —18th-century English proverb.

    I have the high Satisfaction of beholding all Nature with an unprejudiced Eye.
    Richard Steele (1672–1729)

    After decades of unappreciated drudgery, American women just don’t do housework any more—that is, beyond the minimum that is required in order to clear a path from the bedroom to the front door so they can get off to work in the mourning.
    Barbara Ehrenreich (20th century)

    As no one can tell what was the Roman pronunciation, each nation makes the Latin conform, for the most part, to the rules of its own language; so that with us of the vowels only A has a peculiar sound.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)