"The pronunciation is part of an American dialect that is losing steam, linguists told NPR. You may also hear it in 'Warshington D.C.'"
"There’s a leading theory among linguists about the origins of that 'r': the migration of Scotch-Irish people to South Midland U.S. starting at the end of the 18th century."
"'Those folks were super 'r-full,' said Paul E. Reed, associate professor of phonetics and phonology at the University of Alabama."
"'These days you will hear older speakers in those areas still saying [warsh],' said Robin Dodsworth, a professor in the linguistics program at North Carolina State University."
The pronunciation of 'wash' as 'warshed' is tied to the Scotch-Irish migration to North America in the 18th century. This dialect feature is diminishing, with older speakers in certain regions still using it. Linguists note that the 'r' sound in 'warshed' is characteristic of the Scotch-Irish, who were known for their strong 'r's. The usage of this pronunciation spans from Baltimore to Washington state, although it is less common in the Midlands where it originated.
Read at www.npr.org
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