Re: Waistcoats and weskits

From: Stewart Gordon (smjg_1998_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 02/15/05 

Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 10:43:06 +0000

benlizross wrote:
<snip>
> Originally it was a compound of "waist" + "coat" and pronounced
> accordingly.
> As with many common compounds, the pronunciation became simplified and
> reduced to "weskit".

I see. But I don't see quite how /@U/ managed to be reduced to /I/,
even more so as nothing in the spelling implies an /I/ sound.

> But the spelling didn't change.
> Some people still say "weskit", but others have created a spelling-based
> pronunciation "waist-coat".
>
> Other examples to compare:
> "cupboard", where everybody says "cubberd", though the spelling still
> shows you where it came from.

Yes. But why "board" in the first place? Guess it's related to
"sideboard", but that doesn't tell me much....

> "forehead" -- in the nursery rhyme it rhymes with "horrid", which is how
> many people say it; but lots of other people (like me) say "fore-head".

I can't think what nursery rhyme you're referring to at the moment. To
me, "forehead" is either /'fA.rEd/ or /'fA.rId/. But then again, I'm
not sure if it's because I'm used to it or the presence of an "e" (with
various parallels) that makes either spelling seem plausible.

> So the general pattern is: compound words often mush together in
> pronunciation, but the spelling tends to lag behind. This means that
> people can go back to a spelling-based pronunciation when and if they
> want to.

Or even an etymology-based pronunciation.

Stewart. 

-- 
My e-mail is valid but not my primary mailbox.  Please keep replies on 
the 'group where everyone may benefit.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Jugos-lawien
    ... Schreibweise im Gebrauch, aber während des 19. ... but in Eng. /schedule/ has been the regular spelling ... The original pronunciation ... though on theoretical grounds he would prefer either ...
    (de.etc.sprache.deutsch)
  • Re: Waistcoats and weskits
    ... As with many common compounds, ... the term was transferred to the cabinet. ... > makes either spelling seem plausible. ... >> together in pronunciation, but the spelling tends to lag ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: "toro": English vs Spanish [was: Re: The last word on cot/caught]
    ... "doghouse" are no different in pronunciation. ... because "eye dialect" is defined ... spelling as if it were eye dialect even though the spelling ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Natural language with least garbage?
    ... > AFAIK Turkish has none of the "garbage" you mentioned, ... > pronunciation is just what it ought to be ... English words have changed their pronunciation ... > over a long period of time, while the spelling stayed more or less the ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: "toro": English vs Spanish [was: Re: The last word on cot/caught]
    ... "doghouse" are no different in pronunciation. ... I don't use certain sounds in my speech it doesn't follow ... because "eye dialect" is defined ... spelling as if it were eye dialect even though the spelling ...
    (alt.usage.english)