19. Low Front Vowel: /æ/ (< ME /a/)

Dobson (1968: 594) argued that ME /a/ must have been a front vowel, namely /aː/, and that it developed into [æː] between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries (Ibid., p. 548). By 1670, [æː] had become the standard pronunciation, even among educated speakers. However, in certain environments, it was further modified and replaced by [ɛː] among “less careful” speakers during the sixteenth century. After 1650, a new generation of “careful speakers” adopted this [ɛː] pronunciation.While Dobson’s analysis is useful, the historical diversity of forms across English and American dialects is both impressive and complex. In this chapter, we examine the lengthening of ME short /a/, the shortening of ME long /aː/, and the raising and lowering of both, which I have classified into five “sequences.” These sequences concern key words such as “face,” “path,” “calm,” “half,” “walk,” “father,” “square,” “start,” “wharf,” and “war,” among others.