Re: YADPT (D=Dutch)

On Tuesday 04 Nov 2003 8:22 pm, you wrote:
> En réponse à John Cowan :
> >I definitely heard someone in the Netherlands point to a canal lock and
> >say [sl2Hs], though I can't remember what part of the country I was in.
>
> As was already said, it's "sluis", not *"slijs" ;))) . And [2H] is indeed
> the pronounciation of this diphtongue, one of the coolest of Dutch in my
> humble opinion ;))) .
>
Sluice, in English, borrowed directly from the Dutch (I pronounce it as
"sluS").

I grew up with sluices, used to drain water from the Romney Marshes into the
sea at low tide. On a tangent, if anyone enjoys stories of Governments
spending vast amounts of money on white elephants, the story of the Royal
Military Canal may prove entertaining:

http://www.canals.btinternet.co.uk/canals/royalmilitary.htm

Rik

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