Old French dissyllables and the great vowel shift

Stages of Linguistic Change in Modern English

“…49 Cf. Jones, Outline, [86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93]and Kenyon,Pronunciation,61, Brought to you by | University of California Authenticated Download Date | 6/13/15 3:29 PM The quality combinations shown in the preceding table are not only phonematic for Stage Z but also phonetic for the terminal phase of Stage Y. The phonematic combinations of Stage Y, however, are expressible in terms of jaw opening and lip configuration.…”

“…An envelopmental theory devises a fictional carrier phoneme that maintains the phonematic identity of a vowel while it shifts about freely; such is that of Conner, who assumed triphthongs that included the initial and final realizations of a vocalic phoneme, but failed to explain how all the successive realizations that might occur within different triphthongs would not overlap phonetically. 87 A telescopic theory endeavors to view an entire shift comprehensively, but in effect only describes the beginning and end and provides no clear insight into the intervening process; such is that of Kurath, if he may be understood as proposing a theory rather than as prohibiting theories. 88 Unfortunately, together with their readiness to concede paradoxical fact, the non-sequential theories have replaced reason by fantasy.…”