Changing Pronunciations

[J Kendrick]

Check out this British Library study report at 'The Telegraph':
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... tions.html

Quote: "Linguists put changing pronunciations down to the influence of broadcasters and US culture.... The number of times something is heard influences the way people pronounce it, because they assume that is the way to say it.”

Comments?

[Paul P]

I'm surprised the Brits are just figuring this out now. They're usually up to speed on this.
Personally there's nothing new here and no controversy.
But I'm sure a couple of the resident know-it-alls will astound us with their wisdom.

[yathink]

I'm sure a couple of the resident know-it-alls will astound us with their wisdom.

Hmmm. No know-it-alls? No wisdom? No interest.

[Neumann Sennheiser]

It aint wisdom, just an opinion, but I think if you're watching an old spooky movie it sounds way eerier hearing someone like Vincent Price pronouncing it "laboratory

[Jack Bennest]

Check out this British Library study report at 'The Telegraph':
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... tions.html

Quote: "Linguists put changing pronunciations down to the influence of broadcasters and US culture.... The number of times something is heard influences the way people pronounce it, because they assume that is the way to say it.”

Comments?

and spelling too John - with computers I think you can set for canadian english vs aMarricann warshington angliss

[Buckley]

Check out this British Library study report at 'The Telegraph':
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... tions.html

Quote: "Linguists put changing pronunciations down to the influence of broadcasters and US culture.... The number of times something is heard influences the way people pronounce it, because they assume that is the way to say it.”

Comments?

Sounds about right. An Aussie by the name of David Thorne (who's an instigator of various internet shenanigans that I find pretty humorous, most famous for the "7 legged spider" e-mail thread that ended up in probably everyone's inbox a year or two ago) said recently about his time in America that he "[cringes] whenever the word aluminium is pronounced". The North American "Ah-loo-mih-numb" is considered oafish compared to speaking the Queen's English, "Ah-loo-mih-knee-umm".

[johnsykes]

Paul P. I'm going to keep my word....this is a sports comment......would you care, you miserable s.o.b. if you got into goal some time and the rest of us take pot shots at you without your pads and mask on? I'd sure like to be the first.
When you squeal ouch, I'm sure we would be able to pronounce that word.

[J Kendrick]

... and spelling too John - with computers I think you can set for canadian english vs aMarricann warshington angliss

... and dreadful 'aMarricann' grammar, to boot.

Thirty years ago, we had all made fun of what was then called "Valley Girl Speak" or "Val Speak"... now sometimes referred to as "California English".

Frank Zappa had even written a big hit song about it, which we had all thought hugely humourous at the time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=489pO9q8guA

Three decades on, the whole world now seems to be speaking English this same way... the problem now being exacerbated even further by the advent of the so-called "social media'.

Here in 2011, Zappa's song doesn't seem quite so funny anymore...