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From: rob@ptsfb.UUCP (Rob Bernardo)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Pet Peeves
Message-ID: <256@ptsfb.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 10-Nov-85 10:45:58 EST
Article-I.D.: ptsfb.256
Posted: Sun Nov 10 10:45:58 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 11-Nov-85 06:40:43 EST
References: <747@cyb-eng.UUCP> <1900005@datacube.UUCP>
Reply-To: rob@ptsfb.UUCP (Rob Bernardo)
Organization: Pacific Bell, San Francisco
Lines: 25

In article <644@spar.UUCP> ellis@spar.UUCP (Michael Ellis) writes:
>>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'.

Yes, it is called metathesis. But in the case of 'nucular', there is another
explanation, that is, a mistaken reanalysis with the suffix '-ular', cf.
'ocular'. The same appears in a slightly different form with 'esculator'.

Another example of metathesis that I believe is particular to certain
socio-economic strata (and perhaps geographic area) in New York City is
'jewlery' for 'jewelry'.

An example of metathesis that occured that is considered acceptable but
is still not reflected in the spelling is the word 'comfortable'
pronounced as 'comfterble'.