Arkansas 17

Listen to Arkansas 17, a 44-year-old woman from Bono, Arkansas, United States. Click or tap the triangle-shaped play button to hear the subject.

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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

AGE: 44

DATE OF BIRTH (DD/MM/YYYY): 26/09/1975

PLACE OF BIRTH: Jonesboro, Arkansas (but raised in Bono)

GENDER: female

ETHNICITY: Caucasian

OCCUPATION: attorney and political columnist

EDUCATION: J.D. — University of Arkansas

AREAS OF RESIDENCE OUTSIDE REPRESENTATIVE REGION FOR LONGER THAN SIX MONTHS:

The subject has lived her entire life in Arkansas except for 10 months in New Orleans. (In addition to living in Bono, in northeast Arkansas, she spent 20 years in Fayetteville.)

OTHER INFLUENCES ON SPEECH: N/A

The text used in our recordings of scripted speech can be found by clicking here.

RECORDED BY: Ben Corbett

DATE OF RECORDING (DD/MM/YYYY): 27/09/2019

PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION OF SCRIPTED SPEECH: N/A

TRANSCRIBED BY: N/A

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): N/A

ORTHOGRAPHIC TRANSCRIPTION OF UNSCRIPTED SPEECH:

Well, I’m from a town called Bono, Arkansas, in Craighead County, and it was originally going to be named Bonnerville because it was going to be named after one of the residents, Mr. Bonner. And so they sent off an application, and I guess they had to send it to the post office, er, er, er, er, somewhere — it was, it was actually a a small depot that was turning into a town. And they sent a rejection back saying that the town was — the name was too similar to some other Arkansas names such as Booneville, and I think there was a maybe another little community. So, um, they decided to make it as short as possible and name it — they decided to call the town Bono, B-O-N-O. And so, um, that was, that was the name, and we were always growing up compared to Sonny Bono. People would joke about Sonny Bono, and then when the band U2 came out, it was — we were, you know, asked about Bono the, the superstar.

And, um, so w-w-we go along, and when I’m in high school, w-we’re kinda this subject of ridicule from some other towns because we’re small, we’re a farming community, everyone drives trucks, and it’s kind of a, a poor town. And I remember we would play at different schools, and, um, they would, um, have signs that would say University of Bono or like, you know, just, just pickin’ fun at us because we, we were sort of a smaller, poorer town. And, um, I remember one day on the bus home from school and drivin’ by the laundromat, and someone had spray-painted the words, “Bono Dammit” on the side of the, um, laundromat. And after that, that kinda became a rallying cry for the town. And so whenever we would go to a sporting event — football game or anything — we would, you know, yell, “We’re from Bono, dammit!” And, um, even now I still um, uh, uh, uh — I still, when I think of my hometown, think I can’t think about it without thinking “Bono Dammit” sort of that affirmation.

TRANSCRIBED BY: Ben Corbett

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): 21/10/2019

PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION OF UNSCRIPTED SPEECH: N/A

TRANSCRIBED BY: N/A

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): N/A

SCHOLARLY COMMENTARY:

The subject inserts a schwa /ə/ (comma) before the vowel /u/ (goose) (you, zoo, goose). The /r/ consonant is strong and lengthened. Subject drops the /d/ consonant in the word “old.” The diphthong /aɪ/ (price) loses the /ɪ/ (kit) vowel, becoming /a/ (private, liking, I’m, high, idea, implied, surprising, time, diagnosis, might). The /e/ vowel (dress) becomes /ɪ/ (kit) occasionally (when, then, sentimental, sent, expensive). /a/ vowel (dance) becomes /e/ (dress) (can’t, after). The diphthong /eɪ/ (face) approaches /aɪ/ (price) (name, take). /aʊ/ diphthong is made with the back of tongue slightly raised. The final syllable of “Arkansas” is formed with a /ɔ/ (cloth) vowel. Plosives, both voiced and unvoiced, such as /g/, /t/, /d/, /p/, /k/, /b/, and /t/, receive extra plosive quality (depot, goose, application, poor, play, porridge, kit, duke, Bono). Ending /t/ can be glottalized (that, felt, foot).

COMMENTARY BY: Ben Corbett

DATE OF COMMENTARY (DD/MM/YYYY): 21/10/2019

The archive provides:

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