Re: USAGE: Thorn vs Eth

On Wed, 2002-07-10 at 14:57, Robert B Wilson wrote:
> On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 10:37:26 +1000 Tristan McLeay <kesuari@...>
> writes:
> > On Wed, 2002-07-10 at 02:54, Steg Belsky wrote:
> > > You actually pronounce "width" /wIdD/?
> >
> > I do to. And I pronounce 'fifth' and 'eighth' with /tT/s. Why one is
> > in
> > 'eighth' is fairly clear. I'm guessing it only found it's way into
> > 'fifth' to separate the /f/ and /T/. Or maybe I pronounce 'width' as
> > /wItT/. I think perhaps there's no phonemic difference between /tT/
> > and
> > /dD/.
> I was wondering: is there anyone who actually pronounces sixth as /sIksT/
> like every dictionary I've seen says?  For some reason I have a hard time
> pronouncing /sT/.
Oh yes, that's another one I use the affricative /tT/ for. /sIkstT/. But
normally (with the exceptions of the exceptions I've listed above). But
other numbers, like 'twelfth' use /tT/ when referring to a fractional
form and /T/ for the normal ordinal: one-twelfth /w6n tw{lftT/ versus[1]
twelfth /tw{lfT/. I have no idea whether I invented this distinction or
if I got it from someone else. (The distinction is iffy after an /n/, of
course.)

[1]: Is the use of 'verse' as a verb (a backformation of 'versus')
common? I caught my 11-yo brother using it, among other people, and he
was not even aware that 'versus' was spelt with a 'u'.

Tristan.