british followed discussion ae vs etc british english like add historical points may help straighten uncertainties 1 remained open england middle 17th century first good witness ae john wallis grammar 1653 stage lengthening change quality 2 new ae began lengthen r later 17th century categorically voiceless fricatives except variably nc clusters first traces lengthening well described christopher cooper grammatica linguae anglicanae 1685 show lengthening variable frequent consonant follows consonant causing lengthening thus short vowel car long cart short pass long passed etc 3 lengthening increases 17th early 18th century around 1740s e g mather flint prononciation de la language angloise 1740 variable lowering lengthened ae partly lexically determined continues throughout 18th c 4 situation words lengthened lowered vowels continues fluid well 19th c j ellis 1874 reports modern pattern whole set variants including short vowels even r 5 retraction low central back ish vowel late probably later 1870s 6 process never diffused whole lexicon except r course later lost still loads minimal nearminimal pairs rp southern varieties e g ass arse cant cant mass mask etc lot forms vacillate e g short long masturbate plastic etc see john wells accents english 1982 good account roger lass roger lass department linguistics university cape town rondebosch 7700 south africa tel 021 650 3138 fax 021 650 3726