Re: Offensive stress (was: those irregular prepositions)

On Thu, 22 Jun 2006 16:21:47 -0000, caeruleancentaur
<caeruleancentaur@...> wrote:

>>Aidan Grey <taalenmaple@...> wrote:
>
>>Generally, Americans say "two weeks" instead of "fortnight", the
>>same number of syllables. And for "Tuesday week", we say "a week
>>from Tuesday". If I have the meanings correct.
>
>Sadly, I do not use "fortnight" for no one would understand it.  I
>think it's a great word.  I read a lot of fantasy novels.  Often
>authors will write "se'ennight" for week.  I don't know if it was
>every a true word, but it sounds good!
I used to subscribe to "The Science Fortnightly".
I don't think "fortnight" is anywhere near as archaic or esoteric
or "precious" as "se'ennight".

Above was USAGE, I guess, or maybe it was, anyway;

below is YAEPT.

>I take of'fense at 'defense.  Since 'offense and 'defense seem to
>arise in the sports arena, I attribute the offensive pronunciations
>to a lack of education.
Actually I think it's a spreading of the idea that the verb has the accent
on the last (or at least the later) syllable, while the noun has it on the
first (or at least the earlier) syllable.
OFFense is the noun, ofFEND is the verb
(I know it really has only one F.)
DEfense is the noun, deFEND is the verb

>For me, 'ad-dress is the noun; address' is the verb.
>
>Please ad'dress the envelope with the correct 'address.
Hey, I was just talking about that! ;-)

>Which reminds me: I say /'anvElop/, not /EnvElop/.
>
>And the verb is /En'vElVp/.
(By this time we're YAEPTing)

According to my idiolect,
"enn-VEL-up" is the verb,
"ENN-vel-ope" is the noun.
But it's hard to tell unaccented vowels apart.

>You gotta love it!
>
>Charlie
-----
eldin

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