Vowels KIT

CFE, like SAfE, evidences the (ongoing) ‘KIT-split’ (Lass 1995: 97; Wood 1987: 122–123), whereby KIT is realized as (a) [ɪ]  ~ [i] initially, after /h/, in velar environments, and often before /ʃ/ (the IT subset), while (b) and as centralized ['i]  elsewhere (the SIT subset). Lass notes that while ‘Respectable’ (= Educated) SAfE usually has IT = [ɪ] vs. SIT = ['i] ; Extreme SAfE (and AfkE) usually has IT = [ə] vs SIT = ['i]. My data indicate that this general pattern is also true of CFE, except that the patterning IT = [i], SIT = ['i] extends higher up the social scale than it does for SAfE – as confirmed by Wood (1987: 122), who notes that the ‘low schwa’ realization of KIT occurs in the speech of both Extreme and Respectable CFE speakers. Also as with SAfE, before /l/ (= [Ɨ]) KIT is typically realized as [ɤ] (also [ɤ(^ə)],[ɔ]).