An Atlas of Alexander J. Ellis's
The
Existing Phonology of English Dialects
Ellis's Methods
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This map shows the distribution of survival of ME /x/ before /t/.
● = /x/ present, ● = /x/ variably present, ● = /x/ absent
dt.
- 1. right,
3. straight
cs. - 6. straight, 7. ought, 11. daughter, 12. bright, 14. night
(c)wl. - 110. nought, 111. ought, 215. taught, 265. straight, 306. height, 323. fought, 324. eight, 399. bright, 425. light, 426. fight, 457. might, 458. night, 459. right, 460. weight, 461. alight, 462. sight, 527. bought, 528. thought, 529. brought, 530. wrought, 531. daughter, 581. sought, 687. flight, 699. wright
cs. - 6. straight, 7. ought, 11. daughter, 12. bright, 14. night
(c)wl. - 110. nought, 111. ought, 215. taught, 265. straight, 306. height, 323. fought, 324. eight, 399. bright, 425. light, 426. fight, 457. might, 458. night, 459. right, 460. weight, 461. alight, 462. sight, 527. bought, 528. thought, 529. brought, 530. wrought, 531. daughter, 581. sought, 687. flight, 699. wright
See LAE (Ph33-Ph34) for evidence of the survival of /x/ in light and night on the Yorkshire-Lancashire border in the mid-20th century. Later surveys record no instances of /x/ before /t/ in Northumberland or Cumberland. LAS3 indicates further loss of /x/ in some locations in Berwickshire and Roxburghshire by the 1950s.