Re: CHAT: The [+foreign] attribute

Quoting Philip Newton <Philip.Newton@...>:

> On 5 Sep 02, at 2:26, And Rosta wrote:
>
> > suggest additions to the following list of common mispronunciations of
> > nativized foreignisms, which I have collected from many many hours
> > of watching American TV programmes:
> > * coup de gras
> > * chaise lounge
> > * momento
> > * lingeré
> > * marquis/marquee of Queensbury [I only heard this once, so don't know
> > if it's common])
>
> * ekset[e]ra
But does this have anything to do with the word being
sensed as foreign?  I doubt it:  "et cetera" is quite
nativized.  The pronunciation here I think is a simple
case of dissimilation (motivated presumably by having two
adjacent alveolar consonants).

 =========================================================================
Thomas Wier            "I find it useful to meet my subjects personally,
Dept. of Linguistics    because our secret police don't get it right
University of Chicago   half the time." -- octogenarian Sheikh Zayed of
1010 E. 59th Street     Abu Dhabi, to a French reporter.
Chicago, IL 60637

Reply