We whose native tongue is English sometimes run into pronunciation difficulties when speaking Italian, confusing our c’s and ch’s (cello, chiara, Cimabue, Brunelleschi and so on) but at least there are fairly straightforward rules.
Just think of the nightmare our Italian friends have when trying to pronounce English. For a start, there are many words that look the same but are pronounced differently (enough, though, cough, hiccough). George Bernard Shaw, who campaigned unsuccessfully for decades for linguistic reform, first pointed out that the word ghoti could be pronounced fish. See the video above.
Another problem, highlighted in a fascinating article in the Merriam-Webster dictionary online magazine, is: “Why do so many of the letters seem to be just sitting around doing no work?”
The answer: “Our language is a glutton, and it has taken words from an enormous number of other languages. Since we have words borrowed from languages that have different sound patterns, this results in English speakers pronouncing the words differently than in their languages of origin.”
Some of these words , often introduced by (show-off?) scholars, have combinations of sounds that are foreign to English ears, such as mn or ps.
Merriam-Webster says that the m and the p are silent in English “because they are part of sound combinations that are so uncommon that English speakers ultimately resist pronouncing them.”
That’s why the m is silent in mnemonic (‘assisting memory’), introduced into English in the 1600s, which has its origins in the Greek verb ‘to remember’ (The Greek goddess of memory was Mnemosyne, if I remember correctly.). It seems that the initial m was still pronounced in English in the late 1800s.
Another alien letter combination, again from the Greek, is ps, as in psalm, psychology, pneumatic… The opening p is still pronounced in French and German, but, despite attempts to restore it 100 or so years ago, it has disappeared in English.
And so to chutzpah, with its silent c. It’s a Yiddish word denoting ‘supreme self-confidence,’ and originally, says Merriam-Webster: “The ch stood for the rasping sound from the back of the throat that exists in many languages, but not English, so it has dropped away.”
The Merriam-Webster article gives other intriguing examples, like silent ch and gh in yacht, night and light; and the silent l in calm, palm and talk. You can read more by clicking here.
I don’t suppose we are going to agonize much over pronunciation on Jo Parfitt’s Writing Your Life Stories course at the Watermill this autumn.
Jo will be with us for another fantastic writing week from Saturday 21 September to Saturday 28 September 2024 and we still have a few places left. (While concentrating on autobiography and memoir, the course gives insights and advice for writing in any genre.) We have inspirational tuition, warm hospitality, delicious food and wine, beautiful surroundings, convivial conversation with other aspiring writers, but above all, we have Jo Parfitt.
Jo Parfitt is an author, journalist, teacher, blogger, conference speaker and poet. She has published 32 books herself, has helped more than 250 authors get into print and more than 2,000 people to begin writing. Jo’s a compassionate, inspiring, and encouraging teacher: her motto is ‘sharing what I know to help others to grow’.
The Write Your Life Stories creative writing course is designed to help you produce your best work, to find your true writer’s ‘voice’ and to write authentically. Among other things, you’ll discover the secret of SPICE, the seven steps to writing life stories. Jo says: “The course at the watermill will provide a safe haven in which to unlock your creativity, write from your heart and hone your writing craft. You will be empowered to write in a compelling way, bringing your experiences to life.”
The workshop will include several methods and genres and is perfect for anyone wanting to write about their own lives for an effective journal, memoir or blog. If you would enjoy an injection of inspiration in a calm and supportive environment, this course is for you. It is appropriate for students of any level.
Here are some comments from guests on Jo’s previous courses at the Watermill: “The most magical trip to Tuscany, which will stay with me forever!” “It is a very special and beautiful place, and everything was organised so perfectly. Jo is a great tutor, and we all had an amazing time.”
Jo Parfitt
21 – 28 September 2024 – 3/4 places left
Write your life stories
To learn more about Jo and her course at the mill, go to her Tutor Profile.