Re: A FEW MORE OBSERVATIONS OF QUIRKY WORD PRONUNC... - Page 3

occasionalrain · ‎03-10-2010

My first grade teacher pronounced roof as if it rhymed with wolf. She called bags pokes and outerwear wraps.

EastCoastGal · ‎03-09-2010

@just bee wrote:
@Oznell

Your recent posts about the quirkiness of our language got me thinking about The Story of English. I remember how much I enjoyed the PBS series in the 80s and I had the book (just another I lost in our housefire).

But there was another program I recall from that time period that focused on dialects. I'm not positive, but it could have been the documentary called American Tongues.

I believe this is how I learned about...

@just bee ... l was just reading this post because I also have an interest in how words are pronounced... but this had me stumped. I was saying out loud... gumband, gumband... What is that word?? Then reading further I saw "rubber band"!!! I never would have thought of that. Even typing "gumband" it didn't want to accept the word. So interesting!!

My best friend pronounces "museum" ... mu-za-um...with a long "a" sound. Strange thing is she's from the same state/area. (Central New York State) I've never heard anyone else pronounce it like she does! HAS ANYONE ELSE? Don't mean to scream that sentence! Just wondering if anyone else heard it pronounced like she says it?? I asked her about it the first time she pronounced it like that and she said she has always said it that way! Hmmm...

l wish I could remember the other word she also pronounced oddly.

Venezia · ‎03-09-2010

I clearly lived in the wrong part of England because I never heard anyone (including my DH) speak with those affected accents.

But then none of my family and friends are toffs or aristocrats. (Veddy would be an example of an affected pronunciation.)

DH is asleep right now, but I'll ask him tomorrow, if he knows what region would pronounce "happiness" as "happaness". I could almost hear it as a country drawl, but then other words would be drawn out the same way.

just bee · ‎03-10-2010

@EastCoastGal

Your friend's pronunciation of museum reminds me of a pronunciation of theater.

I like thee-eh-ter.

I dislike thee-A-ter. That long A does not belong in theater.

Doesn't belong in theatre, either.

~My philosophy: Dogs are God's most perfect creatures. Angels, here on Earth, who teach us to be better human beings.~

qualitygal · ‎10-04-2010

I still love to hear English spoken from Englishmen and women. Really cute when it's the children.

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

I can never get enough of discussions of all the ins and outs of language, pronunciation, fads, the way it morphs, etc. so these comments are really fun for me.

Growing up in Canada, but being uniquely affected by both U. S. and English/ Scottish influences, you become acutely sensitive to a lot of them. By the way, the "oot", "aboot/ abote" pronunciations there have been directly attributed to the Scottish influence. The Scots, particularly Lowland Scots I think, were an extremely dominating force early on, through their immigration and predominance in many sectors, including the banking industry in Canada...

One more Canadian tidbit-- the Canadian Armed Services officially use the British pronunciation of "Lieutenant"-- "Leftenant"! But in casual conversation, at least among us kids, few ever said "Leftenant". A few adults, yes. People would giggle at that....

I love learning about gum bands...

@Trailrun23 , people who value grammar are so important to our ongoing civilization-- I'm convinced of that. (Even though my own grammar can be quite dicey.) Keep that banner high!

If you like retro TV, the original "Perry Mason" show is the standard bearer for beautiful grammar, and adroit use of language. One more reason to love Perry.

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

@Sage04 , I meant to draw the parallel between Caribbean expressions and Canadian-- some of the Caribbean islands, like Jamaica, that were in the Commonwealth, share certain words and a similar sensibility with English Canada....

And, @occasionalrain , "poke" is a fun alternative for bag, I'd like to use it. That has to be what the "pig in a poke" expression means-- "pig in a bag".