Re: French
| From: | Keith Gaughan <kmgaughan@...> |
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| Date: | Tuesday, January 21, 2003, 22:14 |
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John Cowan <jcowan@...> wrote:
> Tristan scripsit:
>
> > On the subject of French and lieutenant, where'd the /f/ come from in
> > the Commonwealth pronunciation of it?
>
> It's a mystery, though the front rounded vowel may have suggested a
> fricative to anglophones.
From what I hear, the development parallels the different names for newts
in different parts of the UK. 'Lootenant' died out in the UK.
> I wonder how old this distinction is? "Did lootenants and leftenants
> face one another at [the American Revolution battle of] Yorktown?"
Out of interest, is there anybody out there who pronounces it with a
/p/, rather than an /f/? Just wondering...
K.
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