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Why is "lieutenant" pronounced differently in the US and the UK?
This is not a disparagement for either the US or the UK and is just a honest point of curiosity.
Lieutenant is spelled the same in both US English and UK English. Yet in the US it is pronounced "lew-ten-ant" and in the UK it is "left-ten-ant".
Does anyone know the reasons why?
5 Answers
- hollyLv 71 decade agoFavorite Answer
The French word 'lieu' comes from the old French 'luef' which gives rise to the pronunciation "LEF-tenant"
- cloerLv 45 years ago
it relies upon. In Spanish, "ana" is reported "ON-ah." If i recognize a family individuals knows Spanish phonetics, or the call looks Spanish, i'd say ON-ah after I see Ana or -ana. inspite of the undeniable fact that, that is used eye-catching typically in English names interchangeably with Anna, and that i recognize that. So if I see an English % out in an English family individuals, I are likely to assume that -ana is the equivalent as -anna. For representation, Anabel, Liliana, etc. final analysis: i have a wager in my mind earlier i attempt to pronounce the call, and if i'm maximum proper ideal, large. If i'm incorrect, then I suited it and move on. yet I keep in mind that human beings can pronounce them in a special way. i'd extremely pronounce Kianna as key-ANNA, even as Kiana might want to probable be key-ON-ah, or that is key-ANNA to boot. i'd favor to ask the fellow to be particular of the most proper ideal pronunciation.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
The Oxford English Dictionary says it's "difficult to explain", by which they mean "nobody knows for sure". There is evidence that it was said "lev-" in 1793, possibly by a misreading of the "u", which at that time had not yet settled down into its present roles, it still being considered a form of "v", orthographically speaking. There is some flip-flopping of "v" and "f" in English; consider the posh British NEV-you for "nephew".
Source(s): OED - INFOPROFLv 61 decade ago
Alex,
I believe that you may have answered your own question when you mentioned
"both US English and UK English".
I believe that someone once described England and America as two countries separated by a common language. :)
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