 |
| credit: Joel Montes de Oca; licence: https://creativecommons.org |
I'm currently marking the pronunciations of the students in my Spoken English (aka phonetics) classes. One of the recurring mistakes is the pronunciation of the word 'journalism'. The correct one is /ˈʤɜːn(ə)lɪz(ə)m/ (with an additional /r/, if you're aiming at a hyper-rhotic accent). The segment /ʤɜːn/ is used in all of the following words (plus their inflectional and derivational variants):
- journal
- journalese
- journalism
- journalise, -ize
- journalist
- journalistic
- journey
- journeyman
- journo
Re: spelling -our- , pronunciation /ɜ:/
ReplyDeleteThe only other example I can find, though unconnected with diurnus>journ, is courteous /ˈkɜ:tɪəs/
Hi Barry! That's one of my favourite words, "courteous". I like the sound and the spelling.
DeleteThere are also tournament, tournedos, tourney and tourniquet, which according to LPD, can be pron. with ɜː
ReplyDeleteJohn, this -our- /ɜː/ relation is worth an entry in your EP Tips blog, isn't it?
ReplyDeletePetr, Just what I was thinking. I'll do one soon. Scourge is another example.
ReplyDeleteNot to forget the tip on 'hypo-'
DeleteHe who hesitates is lost, but should look before he leaps.
DeleteSo strike while the iron is hot
DeleteAnd ˈsəʊdʒɜːn is possible for sojourn.
ReplyDeleteWhat about bourbon, bourgeois (= printing type), tourmaline?
ReplyDeleteAnother one is adjourn
ReplyDeletePetr, out of interest: in what way(s) are your students mispronouncing "journalism" etc.? Did the errors include /ʒ/ for /dʒ/, as in the French-to-German loanword Journal?
ReplyDeleteOn a sort-of connected note, although not really relevant, I remember being almost shocked when I first learned that the German word Service is pronounced à l'anglaise and not as in the original French. I had another "disappointment" the other evening when I tuned into German radio for a concert in the ARD Radiofestival series and heard Festival pronounced English-fashion, and not /fɛstiˈval/ as I'd been expecting. To me, the combination of the full-bodied /ˈʀaːdɪ̯o/ and the rather limp-sounding /ˈfɛstɪvəl/ was bizarre! Oh, well: at least it wasn't the US version, /ˈfɛstəvəl/... :)
Here are some of the more frequent mis-pronunciations of 'journalism' by my young professionals:
Delete- initial /ʒ/ for /dʒ/
- /ɔː/ or /ʊə/ for /ɜ:/
- /s/ for /z/
As for 'Festival' the DUDEN Aussprachewörterbuch offers /ˈfɛstivl/ or /ˈfɛstival/. Personally, I prefer and use the latter in a German co(n)text.
E P Tips now has an entry on our = ɜː
ReplyDeleteAnd a very courteous entry, if I may say so :)
DeleteThank you, kind sir.
DeleteIt has just occurred to me that əˈtɜːni is an odd pron. for attorney. Can't think of any other instances of or → ɜː
ReplyDeleteExcept words with wor of course!
DeleteYou took the words out of my mouth.
DeleteAre you punning, Emilio? :-)
DeleteCertainly not! The words were actually inside my mouth (and the proof that they were is that they aren't now).
Delete"Except words with wor of course!" ... such as Worcester ;-)
DeleteOne pronounciation of "whorl", and "whortleberry".
Delete- rosie
And worn, sworn, sword...
Delete"Except with caret SOME words with wor of course!" Sigh.
Was the second syllable of "attorney" was originally unstressed, and the current NURSE vowel is the result of subsequent restressing? That would also explain the doubled "t" in the spelling.
DeleteSomething like
1. ˈatərne: (loan from Old French atorne --"assigned")
2. ə'tərne: (stress shift)
3. ə'tɜ:ni ( Great Vowel Shift + R droping)
Interesting question! The OED makes this comment on the etymology: "Old French atorné, aturné, atourné, past participle masculine of atourner." I know nothing about stressing in OF. Does anyone out there?
Delete