Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site spar.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!qantel!hplabs!pesnta!greipa!decwrl!spar!ellis From: ellis@spar.UUCP (Michael Ellis) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: Pet Peeves Message-ID: <644@spar.UUCP> Date: Fri, 8-Nov-85 09:40:56 EST Article-I.D.: spar.644 Posted: Fri Nov 8 09:40:56 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 11-Nov-85 06:14:59 EST References: <747@cyb-eng.UUCP> <1900005@datacube.UUCP> <2260@iddic.UUCP> <670@stc-b.stc.UUCP> <216@dcdwest.UUCP> <131@daisy.UUCP> Reply-To: ellis@spar.UUCP (Michael Ellis) Organization: Schlumberger Palo Alto Research, CA Lines: 30 >How about "nuclear" pronounced "noo-que-lur", as if spelled "noocuulur"? > - David Schachter Phonetically, this is a simple swapping of two adjacent consonants: nuclear /nuwkl0y0r/ vs nucular? /nuwky0l0r/ ..which puts it in the same category as errors like relevant /rel0v0nt/ vs revelant? /rev0l0nt/ I believe this phonetic error is called `metathesis'. Other errors mentioned seem to be due to English's natural process of weakening unaccented vowels and elision of unpronounceable clusters of glides [rlwy]: library /laybrer1/ => /laybr0r1/ => /laybrr1 = laybr1/ libry? february /febr0wer1/ => /febr0w0r1/ => /febrwr1,febr1/ febry? BTW, the pronunciation `febuary' is not really the dropping of an `r'; rather, it is the substition of /y/ for /r/: february /febr0wer1/ vs febuary? /feby0wer1/ There are many historical instances of repeated glides within a word dissimilating in this way, even when separated by intervening consonants. Purple (Lat. purpur-) and marble (Lat. marmor-), for example. -michael