26. The RMS Vocalic System

Chapter 26 presents a detailed comparative phonological analysis of Franklin’s Reformed Mode of Spelling (RMS). Section 1 begins with a presentation of the vowel and consonant tables Franklin sent to Polly Stevenson on July 20, 1768, followed by those published in Vaughan’s 1779 edition. While the differences between the two versions are minimal, the few divergences that exist offer important clues about the varieties Franklin heard around him and reveal his uncertainty regarding the prestige levels of certain pronunciations, information Stevenson was able to clarify for him: [ɒi] versus [ɤi ~ əi ~ ʌi] of Price words for example.Section 2 examines the theoretical underpinnings of Franklin’s vocalic system, demonstrating how modern and sophisticated his understanding of phonetics actually was. Section 3 provides detailed presentations and analyses of each of Franklin’s seven vowels (ten if short and long vowels are distinguished). In this section, Franklin’s descriptions for each vowel and consonant are reproduced in his own words, as they appear in both the 1768 and 1779 versions of his treatise. For each of Franklin and Stevenson’s transcriptions, an IPA equivalent is provided, accompanied by comparative dialectological discussions and, where relevant, diachronic analyses.