Geraden
New Member
I was interested in the discussion of the sound values of the words 'were' and 'hair'. I agree that dialect and accent has a bearing in whether these two words are a rhyming pair. Corey finds it hard to make them rhyme in American English, and suspects that they rhyme better in British English. I agree, but would go further. There are dialects of British English where they rhyme exactly. In Scouse, 'hair' is pronounced more or less like 'were' (Think Cilla Black). However the reverse is the case in some Midland accents. Like Tolkien, I was brought up in Birmingham, and often heard the word 'were' pronounced like 'wear' and 'hair'.
Tolkien himself was educated at King Edward's School (which I imagine did not favour a Brummie accent) and later at Oxford, so his own speech was that of an Oxford don. Bilbo however was a Shire hobbit, and the Shire is usually associated with the rural Midlands. At least in his early life in Birmingham Tolkien must have heard 'were' rhyming with 'hair', so it is entirely possible that he allowed Bilbo in his own accent to treat the two words as full rhymes.
Tolkien himself was educated at King Edward's School (which I imagine did not favour a Brummie accent) and later at Oxford, so his own speech was that of an Oxford don. Bilbo however was a Shire hobbit, and the Shire is usually associated with the rural Midlands. At least in his early life in Birmingham Tolkien must have heard 'were' rhyming with 'hair', so it is entirely possible that he allowed Bilbo in his own accent to treat the two words as full rhymes.