pronunciation guide

koan · Post by **koan** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:04 am

does anyone say "whilst" as will-st?

or is it always Why-lst?

if both, is it regional? Or is it N American mispronunciation?

binbag · Post by **binbag** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:17 am

koan;1352285 wrote: does anyone say "whilst" as will-st?

or is it always Why-lst?

if both, is it regional? Or is it N American mispronunciation?

Whilst, most definitely here koan.

koan · Post by **koan** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:27 am

binbag;1352290 wrote: Whilst, most definitely here koan.
...

you have to spell out how you say it.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:34 am

I've never heard it pronounced "why-lst".

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:07 am

Accountable;1352294 wrote: I've never heard it pronounced "why-lst".

Well of course not, you're American. Whilst I, on the other hand, are Inglish and have a better command ov our langwidge

from dictionary.com

whilst

late 14c., from while (q.v.) with adverbial gen. -s- , and excrescent -t- (as in amongst, amidst ).

I'm assuming as a contraction (if that is even the right expression) of the word while, its pronounced the same as while

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:19 am

Pronounced in one syllable here, whilst.

Whilst I was out........yadda yadda.

Post by **LarsMac** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:12 am

I have only heard it pronounced Why-lst

And that in UK, and in Ontario.

Don't recall ever hearing anyone from the States ever use the word.

littleCJelkton · Post by **littleCJelkton** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:59 am

I say it while(est) though that way it seems like you are the most or have the most while, but it is rare to hear it like tis', thee, and thou.

binbag · Post by **binbag** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:05 pm

koan;1352292 wrote: ...

you have to spell out how you say it.Oh I see said the blind man.

whi (as in "eye" or "y") lst

koan · Post by **koan** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:35 pm

littleCJelkton;1352312 wrote: I say it while(est) though that way it seems like you are the most or have the most while, but it is rare to hear it like tis', thee, and thou.

Congratulations for coming up with something completely unique.

We were split at work half and half. I was in the "wrong" camp but conceded that the online pronunciation guides insist "why-lst" is correct while I had always said "will-st" I'd always heard it said will-st so hadn't thought to check. It's nice to see it's a mostly even split though so I wasn't moronically wrong.

littleCJelkton · Post by **littleCJelkton** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:42 pm

koan;1352331 wrote: Congratulations for coming up with something completely unique.

We were split at work half and half. I was in the "wrong" camp but conceded that the online pronunciation guides insist "why-lst" is correct while I had always said "will-st" I'd always heard it said will-st so hadn't thought to check. It's nice to see it's a mostly even split though so I wasn't moronically wrong.

Yeah You don't hear archaic english often enough in the U.S so the pronunciation of it becomes lost over time

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:52 am

LarsMac;1352308 wrote: I have only heard it pronounced Why-lst

And that in UK, and in Ontario.

Don't recall ever hearing anyone from the States ever use the word.
I use it whilst reading Shakespeare aloud and sometimes whilst being a smartass. After having read this thread, though, I will endeavor to use the proper pronunciation.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 11:08 am

while whilst may not be in common parlance there are in fact many archaic words in daily use english being a rather archaic language. Take out all the archaic words and there is not in fact much left. Imagine not being able to have a republic, or a constitution and where would you be without congress, republic, constitution you might have television but not having media what would you be watching.

I too might be a smartass like accountable but at least I spell arse properly and pronounce it properly as well. What is the reason for that? Some kind of collective speech defect that means you can't pronounce words with an r in them? (Mind you southern english people have the same problem l) Listening to some american TV programmes you would think they were all in to bestiality in a big way, ******* this ******* that, or at least some kind of animal abuse. A loo tenant by the way is someone on the crapper when you want to use it not an officer in the army or navy as north americans seem to believe.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 12:23 pm

:wah:

Post by **spot** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:34 am

English spellings - if we ignore Webster's attempts at reform - were frozen between 1650 and 1750. At the time a spelling became agreed, it was an accurate reflection of the pronunciation. Since then, pronunciation has changed while the old-sound spelling has stayed as it was, which is why spelling is no longer intuitive.

The change in pronunciation is far more advanced in England than in the USA. Where there's a transatlantic difference, the US is more likely to have the 18th century sound of the word. So "will-st" is more likely to be correct 18th century on two grounds, being both US and phonetic.

The bit that's changed for all current speakers, US and Canadian and Brit, is the "wh" part. That's how the 18th century spellers attempted to capture the sound I'd write phonetically these days as "hw" - a mix of an aspirate H with a W as a single sound. Huh and Wuh together. The original sound, I think, was more "hwill-st" and the English have gone a long way from that.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 12:41 pm

Whilw we're on the subject of pronunciation, what is correct ? Scone as in Scown or scone as in Skon ?

I seem to have a remnant of a memory from school where the final "e" determined the pronunciation of the "o" within a word. So by my reckoning it should be scown but I'm sure I'll be hung by my fingertips for suggesting it.

Go on. Disgrace me in public.

Post by **spot** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 12:46 pm

Good lord, Scown is South and Central England. Skon is Northern, Skoon is presumably Scots if they acknowledge the existence of such frippery nonsense and speaking solely for myself I prefer a hot bit of crumpet any day.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:47 pm

spot;1352440 wrote: Good lord, Scown is South and Central England. Skon is Northern, Skoon is presumably Scots if they acknowledge the existence of such frippery nonsense and speaking solely for myself I prefer a hot bit of crumpet any day.

Skoon is how the place is pronunced, the edible version is pronounded skon as opposed to the poncy southern scown. I prefer girdle scones myself.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 3:17 pm

gmc;1352453 wrote: Skoon is how the place is pronunced, the edible version is pronounded skon as opposed to the poncy southern scown. I prefer girdle scones myself.

Then that's how its should be spelt. The rule, if my memory serves, says that the "e" affects how the vowel within the word is pronounced. Mind you it was one of those poncy southern schools so I'm at a dissadvantage

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 5:00 pm

One that excites a good deal of controversy round these parts is Nene as in the river of that name.

Is it Nen or is it Neen? Fights have been known on the subject and social acceptance depends on your answer

The boat is moored within a mile of the crossover point - I'm a Nen sort of guy so, of course, the wife is a Neen girl :-p

Rumour has it that the river is named for its nine springs but that was many years ago.

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:29 pm

Ive never actually heard anyone utter either pronunciation. Ive read it in books but not vocally spoken.

littleCJelkton · Post by **littleCJelkton** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 10:15 pm

On the subject of spelling and pronunciation I always thought this was good

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:12 am

Sked-jew-all or shed-you-all?

root or rowt?

Post by **spot** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 4:10 am

Rowting is only possible with a piece of wood or plastic and a bit. Every other activity is rooting. The box in the corner is a rooter.

littleCJelkton · Post by **littleCJelkton** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:01 pm

One around here that always peeved me is some mechanics would say a person had a problem with their Radiator as (Rad dee a tor) not (Ray dee a tor) though around here it is agreed that the radiator's job (regardless of how it is pronounced) was to radiate (always pronounced ray dee ate) heat from the engine.

theia · Post by **theia** » Sat Feb 05, 2011 4:36 pm

Snowfire;1352456 wrote: Then that's how its should be spelt. The rule, if my memory serves, says that the "e" affects how the vowel within the word is pronounced. Mind you it was one of those poncy southern schools so I'm at a dissadvantage

Same rule applied in midlands schools too, Snow.

But then I'm still hunting for the sneaky h that has crept into consumer and wondering if it now applies to assume, presume...it's all about shoes actually and so must be a secret code for use by cobblers, who may be planning a coup.

Post by **Betty Boop** » Sun Feb 06, 2011 2:35 am

theia;1352940 wrote: Same rule applied in midlands schools too, Snow.

But then I'm still hunting for the sneaky h that has crept into consumer and wondering if it now applies to assume, presume...it's all about shoes actually and so must be a secret code for use by cobblers, who may be planning a coup.

Cobblers :wah: I've not heard that sneaky h yet, will be listening out for it now.

Place names in Cornwall is an interesting one, foreigners always get the pronunciations wrong.

It's scowns around these parts not scon.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Sun Feb 06, 2011 2:42 am

Betty Boop;1352965 wrote: Cobblers :wah: I've not heard that sneaky h yet, will be listening out for it now.

Place names in Cornwall is an interesting one, foreigners always get the pronunciations wrong.

It's scowns around these parts not scon.

Of course it is. I always knew you were much more cultured than the othe troglodites on this forum.

It the same with posh names names too. I knew a boy who's name was spelt Theobald but was pronounced Tibbles. He was posh and spoke proper and wasn't allowed to eat his peas with a knife