Re: [Conlangs-Conf] Witty slogan

On 3/15/06, Sally Caves <scaves@...> wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Sai Emrys" <sai@...>
>
> >> "SegWay" as in "trendy means of transport"?
> >> Or "segue" as in "follow-up, sequence"?
> >
> > |segue| -> /si:g/
> > |segway| -> /s3gw3j/
> >
> > Latter is synonymous with former, but I use the two discretely.
> >
> > - Sai
>
> I may be wrong here, but I have always pronounced segue as "segway."
You're not wrong;  Sai is just being deliberately eccentric with his English. :)

The word "segue" has, AFAIK, always been pronounced ['sEg.wej] in
English, or at least for as long as the rest of English has sounded
anything like it does now. :).  It's not uncommon for people to
encounter it in reading and assume it's ['sEg.ju] or something (though
Sai's [sig] was a new one to me), and not make the connection to the
word [sEg.wej], encountered in speech.  In this it's similar to "hors
d'oeuvre" and other English words whose pronunciation/spelling match
is particularly poor: one initially believes there are two synonymous
but non-homophonic words, instead of one word with an unusual
spelling.  Most of us change our usage to match the standard upon
learning the truth, but Mr. Emrys is stubbornly sticking to his
idiosyncratic variation.  Perhaps some reform will result from it.

I assume that the trade name Segway was inspired by the word "segue",
although according to Jim's link, certain underinformed individuals
are assuming the reverse...

--
Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>

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