Re: Regularized Inglish

Steg Belsky wrote:

> > Yes, but it is always pronounced /f/, so the principle of regularity
> > calls for leaving it alone.
>
> In my name, the {ph} is pronounced /v/.
> That's probably why the alternate spelling {Steven} came about.
Well, I think that has more to do with the fact that it's
a classical name which was originally spelled with an <f>
in Old English.  Old English had a rule /f/ --> [v] /V_V,
and so that explains why your name has a /v/ today
(after /v/ became a separate phoneme).  As with many
other classical words and names, it was revised by
prescriptivists later on (Middle English's <oliphaunt>
became <elephant> in writing, after which naturally
followed a spelling-pronunciation).

=======================================================
Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
ICQ#: 4315704   AIM: Deuterotom
Website: <http://www.angelfire.com/tx/eclectorium/>
"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."

Denn wo Begriffe fehlen,
Da stellt ein Wort zur rechten Zeit sich ein.
   -- Mephistopheles, in Goethe's _Faust_
========================================================