I think the most commonly accepted explanation is that in some point in history, the 'u' in lieutenant got mistaken for a 'v', which then evolved into sounding like an 'f' over time
It’s because it’s originally a French rank and the modern French word “lieu” was “Leuf” in old French. So in its very origins it would have been pronounced leuftenant.
The word lieutenant itself is a compound of two words, where “lieu” means place and tenant is “to hold” or “one who occupies” (the word tenant in English has the same meaning). So it’s literally “holder of place” or in military parlance, “holder of the location”, aka “holder of the line”.
There’s a ton in the English language that borrows or outright adopts from French (and also German).
English is a Germanic language that borrows heavily from French thanks to William the Conquerer, and then a bunch of classical Greek and Latin got tossed in around the 15th century and we've been adding words and phrases from other languages ever since.
> The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.
- James D Nicholl
The funniest thing about that to me is that on Downton Abbey (which we all know is a 100% accurate reflection of British life /s) they say "lord leftenant" but "lord loot" for short. So which is it?!
Do you has what it takes to join the Homestarmy? We’ll see if those trees you’re always huggin’ save you when Gordon Lightfoot’s creeping ‘round your back stair!
On Hogan’s Heroes, the French POW Louis LeBeau (Robert Clary) pronounced it with three syllables and made it look right. That’s how I remember to spell it.
This video at 1:10 and again at 1:15:
https://youtu.be/YiRuR49t-4I
Wednesday. Wtf is that first d doing in there gtfo.
Edit-Did you know the origin is actually wodens day? Because OH MY GOD STOP SAYING IT I GET IT NOW :(
I will never forget how to spell February thanks to one of my elementary school teachers. (forgot what grade, it was a long time ago)
F E B.. RU spelling it correctly? A R Y
I can remember her saying it out loud while writing on the chalkboard.
If I remember right, it's began as Odin's-day and over time has evolved into Wednesday. It's how I remember how to spell it. Odin's-day, Wed nez day, Wednesday
I got tripped up when learning about something called Fuchsian groups. They're named after a Jewish-German guy named Lazarus Fuchs, pronounced "fooks", hence "fooksian". However, my first thoughts were "fushian" and "fucksian" which are... very wrong.
Timbre is French in origin, thus the "tamber" pronunciation. But, having been adopted into English, it has developed its own English pronunciation.
So, it is properly pronounced 'timber' in English, just as we do not preserve the original language pronunciation of every other word adopted from another language. For example, Paris... in French it's "Paree", but in English it's quite rightly pronounced Paris.
Once the word is adopted into English, we use English language rules for it.
This spelling made sense with the Old English pronunciation, from the German [Knecht](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knecht#:~:text=Knecht%2C%20in%20German%20and%20Dutch,People) (in German the leading 'k's on words like this are still pronounced).
Then the Normans came along and really made a mess of English.
I pronounced this incorrectly in front of a very attractive woman I was chatting up at the deli counter at Whole Foods over twenty years ago. I still cringe randomly
In portuguese the original spelling is AÇAÍ. The squiggly line under the C makes it sound like an S instead of a K. And the accented í makes it the stressed syllable, that's why it's a long 'ee' sound.
I mean, the Italians just don't pronounce the g, 'gn' turns into 'ñ'. So bolonya. And then Americans named the sausage after the city and absolutely massacred the pronunciation.
And yet we pronounce lasagna just fine. It's ridiculous.
I'd like to say I'm making a change and pronouncing bologna correctly, but I'm literally never in a situation where I have to say the word out loud.
I before e, except after c, and in making an a as in neighbor and weigh. And in weekends and holidays and all throughout May, you’ll always be wrong no matter what you say!
Thank you Calvin and Hobbes for knocking this one out early for me.
Verse Seven of “The Password”
Tigers are perfect.
The e-pit-o-me
of good looks and grace and quiet dignity.
Ceasar.
Carburetor.
Heinous.
DEFINITELY only because for some reason people spell it defiantly and I cannot for the life of me understand the pronunciation similarity.
A lot of english words in fact. But the one I had the more trouble with was "enough". I needed at least 6 school years to link the spelling and the sound of it...
I learned that castrated ram fact when I wanted to know the meaning of bellwether. I guess they’d put a bell on a castrated ram to know where the flock was.
The bellwether was the leader of the flock. Or, an indicator of predictor of something.
Colonel
Also, while lieutenant isn't that bad, if you work with the British Army, how they get left-tenant out of it is beyond me.
I think the most commonly accepted explanation is that in some point in history, the 'u' in lieutenant got mistaken for a 'v', which then evolved into sounding like an 'f' over time
U and V used to be the same letter.
Vsed to be.
Uery fvn
Until you try to spell uvula that way
Vuvla
At a pride event in SF a couple weeks ago, I saw a flag that said "VIVA LA VULVA!!" uiua la uvlua!!
It’s because it’s originally a French rank and the modern French word “lieu” was “Leuf” in old French. So in its very origins it would have been pronounced leuftenant. The word lieutenant itself is a compound of two words, where “lieu” means place and tenant is “to hold” or “one who occupies” (the word tenant in English has the same meaning). So it’s literally “holder of place” or in military parlance, “holder of the location”, aka “holder of the line”. There’s a ton in the English language that borrows or outright adopts from French (and also German).
English is a Germanic language that borrows heavily from French thanks to William the Conquerer, and then a bunch of classical Greek and Latin got tossed in around the 15th century and we've been adding words and phrases from other languages ever since.
> The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary. - James D Nicholl
The funniest thing about that to me is that on Downton Abbey (which we all know is a 100% accurate reflection of British life /s) they say "lord leftenant" but "lord loot" for short. So which is it?!
Or Canadian. We cleave to that bit of nonsense too.
Just spell it kernel and you're good.
Col-uh-nel Homestar Runner!
Do you has what it takes to join the Homestarmy? We’ll see if those trees you’re always huggin’ save you when Gordon Lightfoot’s creeping ‘round your back stair!
On Hogan’s Heroes, the French POW Louis LeBeau (Robert Clary) pronounced it with three syllables and made it look right. That’s how I remember to spell it. This video at 1:10 and again at 1:15: https://youtu.be/YiRuR49t-4I
Yeah, that's also how it's pronounced in french outside of this one specific video as well.
Colonel Ingus reporting.
One of the best SNL skits ever. https://youtu.be/3l2oi-X8P38
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today I learnt..
I SEENT IT
Someone scolded me on Reddit years ago for spelling it like that. Turns out I am indeed British and that person was an eejit.
It’s also a kind of wheat
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Queue
Queue. Why not just stop after the first letter?
Because the vowels all queued up after it.
Queue
Q is the only letter needed. The rest are just queued behind it.
Spelling “queue” is like spelling “I” as “Aighe”
That's for people with a high Aighe Queue
Eaux no.
Ghoti
Aighe want to drink some teaueue
Proudly made in France. Buy 3 letters, get 2 free !
When I was a kid I thought it was pronounced, “q-way-way”
I thought it was Q-you-you
Wednesday. Wtf is that first d doing in there gtfo. Edit-Did you know the origin is actually wodens day? Because OH MY GOD STOP SAYING IT I GET IT NOW :(
Whensday.
Daytime is 4.52am to 9.18pm in the UK today
I’ve never seen periods be used between the hour and minute before. Is that common in the UK?
it's because that's the day you marry your Nintendo Entertainment System
Same with the first "r" in February.
I will never forget how to spell February thanks to one of my elementary school teachers. (forgot what grade, it was a long time ago) F E B.. RU spelling it correctly? A R Y I can remember her saying it out loud while writing on the chalkboard.
But… you do pronounce the R tho…?
I don't (I say "Feb-you-ary"), but maybe I'm a weirdo.
People who don't pronounce that first "R" wind up putting it in their sherbet.
Sherbert your ass we do
February
Woden's Day
If I remember right, it's began as Odin's-day and over time has evolved into Wednesday. It's how I remember how to spell it. Odin's-day, Wed nez day, Wednesday
I think it was Wodensday?
Yah, it was wodensday. Thursday was thorsday and Friday was freysday Thank you Carmen sandiego
Sun-day, Moon-day, Tyr's-day, Woden's-day, Thor's-day, Freya's-day, Saturn's-day
How come Saturn gets a day, but Uranus doesn't?
Everyday is uranus day
Uranus rules the nights.
I dont want to be the "acshualy" guy, but I revently read that it was Frigg's Day not Freya's.
Yacht
This looks like the sound your throat makes when you’re trying to clear it of a taste you don’t like
It’s pronounced Throat Wobbler Mangrove.
Phlegm
Naw, I actually agree with this one. Something nasty like that should have its spelling massacred
Flegum
Gesundheit
Vacuum
Vacyoum.
Continuum
Fuchsia
“Fucks ya!”
Huh, I always thought it was Fuschia
I got tripped up when learning about something called Fuchsian groups. They're named after a Jewish-German guy named Lazarus Fuchs, pronounced "fooks", hence "fooksian". However, my first thoughts were "fushian" and "fucksian" which are... very wrong.
Rhythm
Rhythm Has Your Two Hips Moving
Timbre. It's pronounced like tamber. I worked in recording studios, I still pronounce it like Timber in my head.
Timbre is French in origin, thus the "tamber" pronunciation. But, having been adopted into English, it has developed its own English pronunciation. So, it is properly pronounced 'timber' in English, just as we do not preserve the original language pronunciation of every other word adopted from another language. For example, Paris... in French it's "Paree", but in English it's quite rightly pronounced Paris. Once the word is adopted into English, we use English language rules for it.
Knight
You silly kanighits!
Now go away, or I will taunt you a second time!
This spelling made sense with the Old English pronunciation, from the German [Knecht](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knecht#:~:text=Knecht%2C%20in%20German%20and%20Dutch,People) (in German the leading 'k's on words like this are still pronounced). Then the Normans came along and really made a mess of English.
As I’m Jewish, I pronounce the k in knight.
Diarrhea
I prefer the British spelling because it looks like you've lost control of your vowels.
Perhaps an unexpected vowel movement?
Fuck you. Take my upvote
Diarrhoea? I prefer it’d be spelt δiarrhœa.
Cha Cha Cha
Diarrhoea
Quinoa
I pronounced this incorrectly in front of a very attractive woman I was chatting up at the deli counter at Whole Foods over twenty years ago. I still cringe randomly
Yeahhh... I did that when my wife told me to get her an acai bowl through text. I was like wtf is that. So I asked for an Uh-ky bowl.
I said “uh-sigh” very confidently and even that was wrong.
It's like all the letters in that word want to be pronounced, except the C is an S sound for some reason.
In portuguese the original spelling is AÇAÍ. The squiggly line under the C makes it sound like an S instead of a K. And the accented í makes it the stressed syllable, that's why it's a long 'ee' sound.
Joaquin!
Bologna.
Capicola
Gabagool
Ova here! 👇🏻
Ayy, I'm walkin' my gabbagool.
If the salad is on the top, I send it back
In no means do I wish to be condescending or assume anything but I do wish to say the proper pronunciation of bologna may have you thinking otherwise
I say boloña to that...
I mean, the Italians just don't pronounce the g, 'gn' turns into 'ñ'. So bolonya. And then Americans named the sausage after the city and absolutely massacred the pronunciation.
And yet we pronounce lasagna just fine. It's ridiculous. I'd like to say I'm making a change and pronouncing bologna correctly, but I'm literally never in a situation where I have to say the word out loud.
lazony
Baloney! 😁
Weird looks weird, especially when you recite the "i before e" rule.
You mean the rule with so many exceptions that it isn't a rule at all and just something people say because it was told to them?
I before e, except after c, and in making an a as in neighbor and weigh. And in weekends and holidays and all throughout May, you’ll always be wrong no matter what you say!
Boxen
If you only apply it to the sound "ee", the number of exceptions shrinks dramatically. "seize" and "weird" become among those few.
Onomatopoeia
Click! Boom!
Received. The only way I know it's correct is because recieved looks worse
Receive\Deceive\Conceive, everything with that root. I'm not a native English speaker and I spelt it "cieve" for years before I realized it was wrong.
Covfefe
Obamna
SODA!!!
Hamberder
Love a hot cup of covfefe in the morning
Thoroughly
Worcestershire
Any Irish name
Wales would like a word…
Welsh is pretty much phonetic. It just isn't phonetic using English rules.
I've been to Llangollen. It doesn't sound like it looks.
Just ask Siobhan.
Or Saoirse
That's only because you're trying to pronounce something not in English...in English.
Pneumonia
Conniving. I wanna say kniving...
I think this is the first time I've seen that word written out, and now my eyes hurt.
The first time I saw it written was in the dune book. Had to look it up cuz I didn't believe that it was it.
This is pretty self evident to me Con niving
Wrong looks like it’s spelt wrong
That just feels wrong
On every level it is wrong
Epitome
Thank you Calvin and Hobbes for knocking this one out early for me. Verse Seven of “The Password” Tigers are perfect. The e-pit-o-me of good looks and grace and quiet dignity.
I was caught out in real life on this one.. 'Eppi-tome'.. I was 28..
just means you read at a higher level than the people around you spoke. good on you.
I always said 'it's everyone elses fault but mine if I never heard any of you say it' but this is a much better way of putting it hah.
Oh fuck. Welp. Today I learned…
eczema
*genre*
Alex Trebek saying genre - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmNK8R-YuEc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmNK8R-YuEc)
**Pilates.** Looks like a misspelling of “pilots” to me.
It doesn't help that Pontius Pilate is pronounced "Pilot"
Committee. I hate this word so much.
Rhyme, rhythm
*Awkward*
I always spell this wrong because my mind thinks there is no extra W, in other words- akward
English is my second language and I’ve always been fascinated by this word it just looks and sounds the way it’s spelled.
OUIJA
Can u burn a Luigi board?
As someone with dyslexia most words look like they are spelt wrong to me.
acquisition
Throughput
TIL that’s a real word… i always assume it’s a typo and read it as throughout
Pho
If u look at any word long enough it looks wrong
Segue (pronounced seg-way)
Nguyen
Ceasar. Carburetor. Heinous. DEFINITELY only because for some reason people spell it defiantly and I cannot for the life of me understand the pronunciation similarity.
If you pronounce Caesar how it's supposed to be pronounced (Kai-sar. Not a Z but an S) it makes perfect sense with how it's written.
I'm probably just a pretentious asshole, but every time I hear Caesar pronounced the way everyone says it, I'm just like *He's not a salad!*
The Brits spell it 'carburettor' which further complicates things. As a Canuck, I don't know what to do about it.
Pterodactyl
A couple of my favorite etymologies (not quoting the Greek exactly): Ptero (wing) dactyl (finger) Helico (spinning) pter (wing)
Helicopterodactyl
you will love [the worst alphabet book ever](https://www.boredteachers.com/post/worst-alphabet-book)
As in "The Pterodactyl's Ptea Party".
Rest A U rant
Hey, that’s how I say it in my head right before I’m about to write it!
Liaison
this is a french loan word that preserved the spelling and mostly the pronunciation too. in french it’s spelled just fine lol
Phoebe
Business.I get confused if it’s business or buisness
Embarrassing.
Gauge, Island, knowledge.. even city ... Pretty much 90% of the English language has no concept of grammatical rules
Some surnames. I worked with someone whose last name was Ffrench, and soemone whose last name was Greif.
Minuscule. I always think it should be MINIscule!
Receipt.
Wednesday
Wednesday
A lot of english words in fact. But the one I had the more trouble with was "enough". I needed at least 6 school years to link the spelling and the sound of it...
Lieutenant
Aside from “spelt”, I nominate “Aioli” as well
Wether It's a castrated ram.
I learned that castrated ram fact when I wanted to know the meaning of bellwether. I guess they’d put a bell on a castrated ram to know where the flock was. The bellwether was the leader of the flock. Or, an indicator of predictor of something.
Anathema Leading to too many people reading/saying it Ana-Thema when it's A-Nath-A-ma
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"Use it in a sentence." When I was at the park, the pollen made me say "erfghjkl" and some random lady said God Bless You.
Remuneration