Missouri is a midwestern state. Probably 90% or more of the white population would have pronounced it “ant.” Clemens mother was from Kentucky and might have preferred “ont” depending on her family’s dialectic predisposition. And she was undoubtedly the
most influential adult in his Life during his formative years. 

But I would offer that Twain might have pronounced it every which way, depending upon the material he was giving on a given day, and whether he was speaking publicly or
privately. This may explain the reference to his “drawl” by local reviewers. It also explains why William Gillette, an accomplished actor who grew up around Clemens” daughters, used a Midwestern accent (where “ant” is the default) in his recorded impression of Twain.

In short, I believe SLC used dialect the same way actors are known to do when depicting regional characters.


Alan Kitty, Executive Director
Mark Twain Education Society


Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 10, 2019, at 11:43 AM, tim champlin <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> I come from the northern midwest, lived 4 yrs. in central Missouri. Also lived in TN and GA for over 60 years. The only ones I ever heard pronounce Aunt with the ah sound of ont or ontie were the older, genteel generation of blacks, many of whom I waited on when working at the VA in Tennessee.  
> Tim Champlin  
>> On October 10, 2019 at 9:38 AM "Bird, John C." <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> In the South, there is also sounds like “ain’t.”
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> From: Clay Shannon<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2019 9:21 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: How would Twain have pronounced "Aunt"?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Does anybody know, or have an educated guess, as to how Twain would have pronounced "Aunt"?
>> As one pronounces the name of the picnic-addicted insect, or as the first three letters of "Ontario"?
>> - B. Clay Shannon