English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
In Norn Iron we say amn't I? where the English say aren't I? It irritates me intensely when someone "corrects" me because amn't I?, being a legitimate contraction of am not I? is actually better grammar than are not I?, which won't be correct this side of I are making it into Fowler's good graces.
Have we got time for another cuppa?
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
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- Posts: 7883
- Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm
Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
My grandmother had difficulty with pronouncing the name of the village of Saracen's Head.
Somehow it came out "Sakaren's Head."
How many people have to make the same mistake as Granny before this becomes the correct pronunciation?
Somehow it came out "Sakaren's Head."
How many people have to make the same mistake as Granny before this becomes the correct pronunciation?
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
Exactly.
Say it enough, and it's "normal" and then accepted.
It doesn't make it right though ............... for pedants like wot I iz.
Say it enough, and it's "normal" and then accepted.
It doesn't make it right though ............... for pedants like wot I iz.
Mick F. Cornwall
Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
I've never heard anyone say bur-gla-ree with either a flat (cat) or broad (cart) a. RP is bur-gluh-ree, with the middle vowel sound being a schwa.
Jonathan
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
The exact sound probably depends on the speaker's accent, but I think Mattheus made the point quite adequately. Like me, Mattheus may have missed the lesson about "schwa".Jdsk wrote: ↑10 Nov 2021, 6:24pmI've never heard anyone say bur-gla-ree with either a flat (cat) or broad (cart) a. RP is bur-gluh-ree, with the middle vowel sound being a schwa.
Jonathan
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
Most common vowel sound in English:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwa
But I now understand that the criticism was of separated consonants. That probably happens because it's mechanically easier than keeping them together in -gluh-.
Jonathan
Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
And some might take the root of the noun burglary to be the verb burgle rather than the noun burglar.
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- Posts: 7883
- Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm
Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
To me it seems that "burglary" flows off the tongue more easily than "burglery".
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
Do you mean - /ləri:/ flows off the tongue more easily than - /əlri:/ ? Or the other way round?
Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
Who put the schwa in Schwäbish?
Have we got time for another cuppa?
Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
I can probably spell it now - but I've no idea how to pronounce it. Sorry Jonathan, your pedagogy is wasted on some of us!Mike Sales wrote: ↑10 Nov 2021, 6:30pmThe exact sound probably depends on the speaker's accent, but I think Mattheus made the point quite adequately. Like me, Mattheus may have missed the lesson about "schwa".
Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??
There's an audio clip in the linked Wikipedia article.mattheus wrote: ↑11 Nov 2021, 11:47amI can probably spell it now - but I've no idea how to pronounce it.Mike Sales wrote: ↑10 Nov 2021, 6:30pmThe exact sound probably depends on the speaker's accent, but I think Mattheus made the point quite adequately. Like me, Mattheus may have missed the lesson about "schwa".
(It's really common for people to recognise it when it's pointed out, often accompanied by "I never knew what that was called".)
Jonathan