Mutating Pronunciation
Michael, a truck driver
from Traverse City, called in a question from Texas while he was on the road.
“Why,” he wondered, “does the pronunciation of a word change over time?” He
cited the word protein as an example. While the current common pronunciation is
pro-teen, Michael remembers hearing
it as pro-tee-in years ago.
Sometimes it’s simply
imitation. Exposure to overheard conversation influences our pronunciation.
Humans tend to try to fit into their environment; it’s a survival mechanism. If
you hear the word business pronounced
as biz-ness more frequently than biz-i-ness, or if you hear the word ration pronounced as ray-shun more frequently than rash-un, that will eventually become
your pronunciation – unless you are fanatically individualistic.
And sometimes the mechanism
is a bit more subtle, complex, and long-range. Ease of articulation can change
pronunciation and even spelling over time. The prefix ad- (to or towards) is a good example.
Uniform application would mean that every time ad- is used, the spelling and pronunciation remain unchanged – but
that’s not the way it happens. The consonant that follows the prefix ad- can influence the spelling and
pronunciation because of rapid and awkward changes in the interplay of tongue,
teeth, lips, larynx, and palate.
AD- can become
·
A- ascribe,
·
AB- abbreviate,
·
AC- acclaim,
·
AF- affirm,
·
AG- aggrade,
·
AL- allege,
·
AN- announce,
·
AP- approve,
·
AR - arrive,
·
AS- assent,
·
AT- attrition.
Other factors may also enter in, but imitation and ease of articulation are major factors in hastening changes in pronunciation.
Listen to Mike’s program in real
time every Tuesday morning, 9:10 - 10:00 a.m. EST, by going to wtcmradio.com
and clicking on Listen Now. You’ll
also find about two year’s worth of podcasts there under The Ron Jolly Show.
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