Monday, October 03, 2011
Language oddity
Professor Polistra hasn't been around for a while, and this time she has something a bit different from the usual update on new and obnoxious words. This one is an old oddity that goes in an unexpected direction.
Listening to an Info Please episode, Prof P heard a mention of the old pronunciation of wind. This seemed to be an odd exception to normal English orthography, and it seemed reasonable that wind later fell into line with other words.
But after a quick look through similars, she realized that the old pronunciation was perfectly regular within a special pattern or rule. Before 1750 or so, wind rhymed with ALL other -ind words! More recently, it became the sole EXCEPTION to this special pattern, while the other -ind words remained special.
But it's only a partial exception, since the etymologically unrelated verb wind (what you do to a clock) stayed inside the special pattern.
= = = = =
Second: BBC announcers continue to provide phonological fun with British or just plain sloppy pronunciation.
Mr Barack Obama = Mistah Beddick O. Bammer
Peripheral highway = Peddy Pheddical Highway
Mr Tim Geithner = Mistah Tom Geithnah
Cavalier sloppiness is a long British tradition, especially when pronouncing Wog Words. Top-level American announcers have always tried hard to get close to foreign pronunciations, and wouldn't say peripherical for peripheral.
= = = = =
Third: A picture-perfect aptronym.
From a NWPR story about the latest efforts by anti-Darwin anti-science human-killing Endangered Species loons, and a rational but overly gentle pro-science response by a forest industry trade group.
Hmm. Wonder why Ann Forest-Burns decided to help prevent forest fires? It's a mystery.
And another aptronym. BBC science feature on new theories about fish evolving into air-breathing critters. Author: Victoria Gill. (The actual article is highly interesting, offering more evidence toward the notion of the Grand Blueprint.)
Professor Polistra hasn't been around for a while, and this time she has something a bit different from the usual update on new and obnoxious words. This one is an old oddity that goes in an unexpected direction.
Listening to an Info Please episode, Prof P heard a mention of the old pronunciation of wind. This seemed to be an odd exception to normal English orthography, and it seemed reasonable that wind later fell into line with other words.
But after a quick look through similars, she realized that the old pronunciation was perfectly regular within a special pattern or rule. Before 1750 or so, wind rhymed with ALL other -ind words! More recently, it became the sole EXCEPTION to this special pattern, while the other -ind words remained special.
But it's only a partial exception, since the etymologically unrelated verb wind (what you do to a clock) stayed inside the special pattern.
= = = = =
Second: BBC announcers continue to provide phonological fun with British or just plain sloppy pronunciation.
Mr Barack Obama = Mistah Beddick O. Bammer
Peripheral highway = Peddy Pheddical Highway
Mr Tim Geithner = Mistah Tom Geithnah
Cavalier sloppiness is a long British tradition, especially when pronouncing Wog Words. Top-level American announcers have always tried hard to get close to foreign pronunciations, and wouldn't say peripherical for peripheral.
= = = = =
Third: A picture-perfect aptronym.
From a NWPR story about the latest efforts by anti-Darwin anti-science human-killing Endangered Species loons, and a rational but overly gentle pro-science response by a forest industry trade group.
Ann Forest-Burns represents the timber industry group American Forest Resource Council. She says she's glad the US Fish and Wildlife Service is settling the question of whether the rare snails and slugs warrant protection. But Forest-Burns is worried about possible effects on logging if forest-dependent snails are labeled "threatened."
"Everything deserves to have its place. The problem is when we don't know what to do about its place and how to help it."
The USFWS decision responds to litigation from the Center for Biological Diversity. The environmental group sued the federal government to force a look at hundreds of potentially threatened species.
Hmm. Wonder why Ann Forest-Burns decided to help prevent forest fires? It's a mystery.
And another aptronym. BBC science feature on new theories about fish evolving into air-breathing critters. Author: Victoria Gill. (The actual article is highly interesting, offering more evidence toward the notion of the Grand Blueprint.)
Labels: Aptronym Alert, Grand Blueprint, Language update
¶ 3:13 PM
