english language quickie

[Humus]

The worst thing I've ever heard was a guy that pronounced polygons "polygyyyyns" for some arcane reasons, that and 'rendrering' or 'to rendrer'. He wrote it perfectly, he was a games programmer so he was perfectly familiar with the concept, it was just that he had this way of... putting in completely weird letters in some words.

That's weird. It doesn't even make it easier to pronounce or anything, quite the opposite. I have never found myself adding letters to words, but as a northern Swede I'm content with removing unnessesary letters here and there. Like "rendring".

 

[Humus]

My entire English training is collapsing before my very ears...this is going to mess me up for certain.

The use of "very" in the sentence above ... I've gotten used to it now and I find myself using it sometimes, but I still find it quite odd.

 

[Basic]

One more:
In what regions would David Bowies pronounciation of "dance" be normal. ("Let's dance. Put on your red shoes and dance the blues.")

Note: a region where the pronounciation would be considered normal, I guess I'd be pushing it if I asked for a place where he himself were considered normal.

 

[deviantchild]

Logically yes, in real-life no. It is pronounced "rowt-err" here.

English is a very screwy language, I think that's what I like about it.

in English it is pronounced root-err
in American English it is pronounced rowt-err

 

[sytaylor]

The use of "very" in the sentence above ... I've gotten used to it now and I find myself using it sometimes, but I still find it quite odd.

'Tis old English, whence language was man's vessle to articulate his very soul itself.

 

[Crisidelm]

'Tis old English, whence language was man's vessle to articulate his very soul itself.

'Tis or 'twas?

 

[Mariner]

One more:
In what regions would David Bowies pronounciation of "dance" be normal. ("Let's dance. Put on your red shoes and dance the blues.")

Note: a region where the pronounciation would be considered normal, I guess I'd be pushing it if I asked for a place where he himself were considered normal.

"Darnce" is actually the pronunciation of the well-heeled middle-classes from the South-East corner of England. They also pronounce "Castle" as "Car-sle" and "Bath" as "Barth". The dialects of the Upper-classes are often even more pronounced. Have you heard the Queen speak for example? "House" is pronounced "Hayse".

 

[Crisidelm]

In "da-nce", the "da" part should be spelled like in "da-rk". NOT like in "da-nger" or "da-ndy".

 

[sytaylor]

'Tis or 'twas?

Depends on one's leanings dear boy *puffs at bubble blowing imitation tabacco pipe*

 

[Basic]

In "da-nce", the "da" part should be spelled like in "da-rk". NOT like in "da-nger" or "da-ndy".

I know that it's like that in England, I wondered if the "da-ndy"-like pronounciation was the common way in USA.

 

[Mariner]

In "da-nce", the "da" part should be spelled like in "da-rk". NOT like in "da-nger" or "da-ndy".

Actually, only soft shandy-drinking southern poofters pronounce it like that.

Here in Blighty, anyone north of the Watford Gap pronounces it "dan-ce". I expect a phonetic dictionary will say that either is correct.

 

[Crisidelm]

Actually, only soft shandy-drinking southern poofters pronounce it like that.

Here in Blighty, anyone north of the Watford Gap pronounces it "dan-ce". I expect a phonetic dictionary will say that either is correct.

My English dictionary (the old one) states:
Dance [da:ns]
Dark [da:k]
Dandy [´dændi]

 

[Mariner]

If I remember I'll check to see what my Collins dictionary says when I get home.

 

[Crisidelm]

For Merriam-Webster, on-line, it's different (of course)

 

[Mariner]

My Collins dictionary seems to think that it should be pronounced "darn-ce" as well. It's published in the south of England, however so this probably explains it! Half the country pronounces it the other way, but of course to the southern compiler this would just be down to dialect!

 

[deviantchild]

Actually, only soft shandy-drinking southern poofters pronounce it like that.

Get your facts right.
Only people from Bath and people in films like Bridget Jones' Diary (for American audiences) talk like that.

 

[Sxotty]

I was going to answer that it depends on region/accent a lot more than which way it was used, but I figured it was already confusing enough and I believe what I wrote was the actual "correct" answer.

Very few people speak english properly anymore, at least not enough around me.

If someone hasn't said it already there is no proper english DW, proper just means folks understand what you are saying pretty much, b/c the english language is constantly changing.

 

[soylent]

That's weird. It doesn't even make it easier to pronounce or anything, quite the opposite. I have never found myself adding letters to words, but as a northern Swede I'm content with removing unnessesary letters here and there. Like "rendring".

...Silent E, by Tom Lehrer...

 

[Simon F]

If someone hasn't said it already there is no proper english DW, proper just means folks understand

There is proper English - and "folk understand"

 

[Crisidelm]

So in UK (and USA and any other anglophone country) there's no Organization dedicated to taking care of the national language (and phonetics)...in Italy we have the so-called "Accademia della Crusca", but in all other neo-latin countries there are such organizations too AFAIK.