Audiobooks have begun to outsell print - Page 10

fjtorres · 02-08-2016, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulfuldog

As if its not confusing enough that we all pronounce stuff differently, we've got to have different names in some cases too despite speaking the same language...

Don't be so sure of the latter.

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles...-make-up-words

tubemonkey · 02-08-2016, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shane R

Amazing, isn't it?

But shhhhh.

Let's not attract the attention of the mods, they might tell us we're off-topic and to return to the thread's original topic.

Too late. Of the top ten posters in this thread, three are mods.

disconnected · 02-08-2016, 09:01 PM

Since this has veered so far off course I'd like to ask about the British habit of ignoring half of the letters in a word when pronouncing it.

We've copied some of it here in the US -- the city of Worcester in Massachusetts is pronounced something like Wooster. But I'm told that in England the name Featherstonehaugh is pronounced Fanshaw. Can that possibly be true?

taosaur · 02-08-2016, 10:01 PM

If we even start in on U.S. regional variations, we're doomed. A couple that have tickled me in my travels in the East, Midwest and South:

Worcester, pronounced Wooster, is a very common street name (and occasional city name) in the East. When you get to the Midwest, it's still common, but they've given up and started spelling it "Wooster."

There is a county in Mississippi named for a famous Spanish conquistador. The locals pronounce it Ball-ih-vihr.

Not to tell, but I frequently come across fellow Americans who are constitutionally incapable of pronouncing my rather common English first name correctly, even with coaching, and it's almost unheard of that anyone can even get close on my Celtic last name, thought most are convinced they know how it's said.

And no, I've never heard anyone use the word quay, pronounced in any fashion, or otherwise encountered it anywhere except a British novel. I presumed it was pronounced many ways, because seldom pronounced.

Cinisajoy · 02-08-2016, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taosaur

If we even start in on U.S. regional variations, we're doomed. A couple that have tickled me in my travels in the East, Midwest and South:

Worcester, pronounced Wooster, is a very common street name (and occasional city name) in the East. When you get to the Midwest, it's still common, but they've given up and started spelling it "Wooster."

There is a county in Mississippi named for a famous Spanish conquistador. The locals pronounce it Ball-ih-vihr.

Not to tell, but I frequently come across fellow Americans who are constitutionally incapable of pronouncing my rather common English first name correctly, even with coaching, and it's almost unheard of that anyone can even get close on my Celtic last name, thought most are convinced they know how it's said.

And no, I've never heard anyone use the word quay, pronounced in any fashion, or otherwise encountered it anywhere except a British novel. I presumed it was pronounced many ways, because seldom pronounced.

Don't forget knack a doe ches and knack a tish one in east Texas and one in Louisiana. They are spelled Nacogdoches and Natchitoches. Oh and Waxahachie. (Walks a hatch ee.)
Note, I had to Google for the spelling.

taosaur · 02-09-2016, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Don't forget knack a doe ches and knack a tish one in east Texas and one in Louisiana. They are spelled Nacogdoches and Natchitoches. Oh and Waxahachie. (Walks a hatch ee.)
Note, I had to Google for the spelling.

Those words at least come from languages widely disparate from English, and I believe lacking written forms before they were transcribed by European settlers. I'm sure we're butchering Chicago and Massachusetts in common usage, too.

doubleshuffle · 02-09-2016, 01:17 AM

Found something lovely on Wikipedia:

A "List of names in English with counterintuitive pronunciations"

With several sub-links to individual lists. Although I just browsed the English place names lists a bit, and don't think everything on them is counterintuitive.

But I've already come up with a question for our British friends: The list gives the pronunciation of Alnwick as /ˈænɪk/, but I've been there and am pretty sure the locals say /ˈᴧnɪk/. Does anybody really say /ˈænɪk/?

HarryT · 02-09-2016, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

But I've already come up with a question for our British friends: The list gives the pronunciation of Alnwick as /ˈænɪk/, but I've been there and am pretty sure the locals say /ˈᴧnɪk/. Does anybody really say /ˈænɪk/?

Locals say "Anik", with a short "a". My grandmother was born there.

(Alnwick castle was used for the exterior shots of "Hogwarts" in the Harry Potter films, as a matter of interest.)

MikeB1972 · 02-09-2016, 04:46 AM

Couple more

The town of Mousehole is pronounced Mowzle.
Tintwistle is pronounced Tinsel.

doubleshuffle · 02-09-2016, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Locals say "Anik", with a short "a". My grandmother was born there.

Thanks. You do mean a short "a" like in "cup", don't you?

HarryT · 02-09-2016, 04:52 AM

One American pronunciation that sounds very strange to British ears is the fact that you regard the "h" in the word "herb" as silent, and say "erb". In British English, the "h" is always voiced.

HarryT · 02-09-2016, 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

Thanks. You do mean a short "a" like in "cup", don't you?

I mean a short "a" as in the word "cap" or "mat" or "cat". In these parts, there's no "a" in "cup".

doubleshuffle · 02-09-2016, 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I mean a short "a" as in the word "cap" or "mat" or "cat". In these parts, there's no "a" in "cup".

That's why the phonological alphabet is so useful. So what you say is it's /ˈænɪk/ rather than /ˈᴧnɪk/ after all.

HarryT · 02-09-2016, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

That's why the phonological alphabet is so useful.

Yes, I'm afraid it's not something I'm familiar with. I really should learn it.

Interesting, although "Alnwick" is pronounced a-nik, the town at the mouth of the river Aln, a few miles away, Alnmouth, is not "an-mouth" as one might logically expect, but "alun-mouth", and the river itself is also pronounced "Alun".

doubleshuffle · 02-09-2016, 05:13 AM

Well, nowadays all the online dictionaries offer audio pronunciations, so it'll become less and less common, I guess.

For our case: /æ/ would be the vowel in "cat" and "mat", /ᴧ/ the one in "cup". (Though to non-native ears like mine, the difference between the two gets harder to spot the further north you get. Hence my confusion about Alnwick.)

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02-08-2016, 09:01 PM	#138
disconnected Fanatic Posts: 527 Karma: 4504715 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: US Device: Kobo Forma, Libra, H2O2e2, Clara, Auras, Kindles, Nooks, Sony, iPAQ	Since this has veered so far off course I'd like to ask about the British habit of ignoring half of the letters in a word when pronouncing it. We've copied some of it here in the US -- the city of Worcester in Massachusetts is pronounced something like Wooster. But I'm told that in England the name Featherstonehaugh is pronounced Fanshaw. Can that possibly be true?

02-08-2016, 10:01 PM	#139
taosaur intelligent posterior Posts: 1,562 Karma: 21295618 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ohiopolis Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Samsung S8, Lenovo Tab 3 Pro	If we even start in on U.S. regional variations, we're doomed. A couple that have tickled me in my travels in the East, Midwest and South: Worcester, pronounced Wooster, is a very common street name (and occasional city name) in the East. When you get to the Midwest, it's still common, but they've given up and started spelling it "Wooster." There is a county in Mississippi named for a famous Spanish conquistador. The locals pronounce it Ball-ih-vihr. Not to tell, but I frequently come across fellow Americans who are constitutionally incapable of pronouncing my rather common English first name correctly, even with coaching, and it's almost unheard of that anyone can even get close on my Celtic last name, thought most are convinced they know how it's said. And no, I've never heard anyone use the word quay, pronounced in any fashion, or otherwise encountered it anywhere except a British novel. I presumed it was pronounced many ways, because seldom pronounced.

02-09-2016, 01:17 AM	#142
doubleshuffle Unicycle Daredevil Posts: 13,944 Karma: 185432100 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Planet of the Pudding Brains Device: Aura HD (R.I.P. After six years the USB socket died.) tolino shine 3	Found something lovely on Wikipedia: A "List of names in English with counterintuitive pronunciations" With several sub-links to individual lists. Although I just browsed the English place names lists a bit, and don't think everything on them is counterintuitive. But I've already come up with a question for our British friends: The list gives the pronunciation of Alnwick as /ˈænɪk/, but I've been there and am pretty sure the locals say /ˈᴧnɪk/. Does anybody really say /ˈænɪk/?

02-09-2016, 04:46 AM	#144
MikeB1972 Gnu Posts: 1,222 Karma: 15625359 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: UK Device: BeBook,JetBook Lite,PRS-300-350-505-650,+ran out of space to type	Couple more The town of Mousehole is pronounced Mowzle. Tintwistle is pronounced Tinsel.

02-09-2016, 04:52 AM	#146
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,549 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	One American pronunciation that sounds very strange to British ears is the fact that you regard the "h" in the word "herb" as silent, and say "erb". In British English, the "h" is always voiced.

02-09-2016, 05:13 AM	#150
doubleshuffle Unicycle Daredevil Posts: 13,944 Karma: 185432100 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Planet of the Pudding Brains Device: Aura HD (R.I.P. After six years the USB socket died.) tolino shine 3	Well, nowadays all the online dictionaries offer audio pronunciations, so it'll become less and less common, I guess. For our case: /æ/ would be the vowel in "cat" and "mat", /ᴧ/ the one in "cup". (Though to non-native ears like mine, the difference between the two gets harder to spot the further north you get. Hence my confusion about Alnwick.)