I'm forming a new society, and am inviting you all to join.
All you have to do to join is promise to pronounce words exactly as the are spelled. No more silent letters. No more than one way to pronounce consonant groupings.
Why? Because the whole world is becoming to confusing and complicated. This gives us one less thing to worry about.
Maybe you'd like a trial run. Start with these words and see how you like it:
Gourmet.
Doughnut.
Champagne.
Herb.
Psychiatrist.
If anyone asks you why you're talking like that, just answer, "It's the Scottius way." We might earn some new recruits.
Next, we'll get rid of the word "an".
Wanna join?
OK, I guess I can't join this club. One thing I really love is words. I love to learn how very old many words are and how their meanings changed over the years. For example...
ReplyDeleteGourmet: 1820, from French gourmet, altered (by influence of Middle French gourmant "glutton") from Old French grommes "wine-tasters, wine merchant's servants," of uncertain origin.
Champagne: 1664, from Champagne, former province in n.w. France, name meaning "open country" (see camp). Originally any wine from this region, focused to modern meaning late 18th century.
Herb: c.1290, erbe, from Old French erbe, from Latin herba "grass, herb." Refashioned after Latin since 15th century., but the h- was mute until 19th century. Herbaceous is from 1646.
I'll go along with doughnut, though. That's a pretty uncreative word.
TK!
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying eliminate words. Or change their spelling. Just pronounce them like they're written. Except for 'an'.