Earlier today, I was reading a news article on the fate of the USN commander of the submarine involved in the collision with the Japanese vessel, and it got me thinking about what we call people who crew submarines. UK usage calls them sub-mariners, while the USN seems to prefer submarine-rs. Can anyone supply examples of other words where the difference in UK/US usage comes down to the stressing of different syllables?
Excellent example, especialy as I vacillate endlessly between the two pronunciation styles for that word. Thinking about it now, the matter of stress generates enough controversy to finance a harassment suit, citing invasion of privacy.
It is my ill-remembered feeling that among US'ns, the subMARiners refer to themselves with the emPHAsis on the second sylLABle but other swabs call them SUBmaREEners. I've also heard both HARassment and haRASSment among US'ns. The only difference in privacy that I know of is in the length of the i, i.e., PRIVVacy vs. PRYvacy.
The word bandied about at the local Navy Base among members of the "Silent Service" is subMARiner which I used when amongst them, however for the civilian population it's subMARINers wow
The word bandied about at the local Navy Base among members of the "Silent Service" is subMARiner which I used when amongst them, however for the civilian population it's subMARINers
It looks like I have been guilty of unwarranted extrapolation. I watched a documentary in which a retired USN admiral, formerly head of the USN's submarine fleet, consistently said submarine-r. Since he had formerly been one, I leaped to the contusion that all USN submariners pronounced it the way their former boss did. Whoops!
Extrapolate not, lest ye be extrapolated. Now, AnnaS., don't forget the admonition: "Forgive them their extrapolations, for they know not what they do".
While we're mangling the Bible, let me note that on a CD I have, of some English cathedral choir singing the Psalms to Anglican chants, one of them goes, "O praise God in the senkt-chwerie" (accent on the 1st syllable).
I watched a documentary in which a retired USN admiral, ...consistently said submarine-r. Since he had formerly been one, I leaped to the contusion that all USN submariners pronounced it the way their former boss did
He was talking for the benefit of civilians ... perhaps that explains it ... but must say I have heard both ... the subMARiner seems to be of more recent vintage. Changing times? Has your contusion interesting colors? Aloha wow
[O praise God in the senkt-chwerie" (accent on the 1st syllable).
But of course. How else would one pronounce it? sankt-U-ARY? Come to think of it, I think I have heard that quaint version, from USns of my acquaintance.
that quaint version, from USns of my acquaintance. Watch it, Bub, or I might ac your quaint ance! Or, ax your quaint aunts...nah. Maybe your quaint ants... I'm tired and I wanna go to bed. "Show me the way to go home..."
While each of these has diverse emphasis, in none does this divergence yield a different sense (with the exception of harassment, in which stressing the first syllable may convey a sense of arrogance).
"Submariner" is different. Although either pronunciation may apply to the same thing, the description of that thing is not the same. SubmarEENer is the crew member of a submarine. SubMAriner is more poetic (and I prefer it) but a little non-sensical, meaning a mariner who is under the sea, by inference; or for lurid literals, () one who is under a mariner.
Which leads to an obvious, but unintended, digression to another topic concerning the usefulness of that loveliest turn of phrase, "Hello, sailor!"
...and from there, to the question: 'though beauty may be useful, can a useful thing be beautiful?
a question sure to go unanswered--unless so identified; and with those last three words, the charm of the first six undone...on and on, 'til the devil takes the soul gone foul with the boredom sprung of endless loops of logic
Oh, oh, I got one. In fact the king of 'em all: NUCLEAR! You US'ns actually use a completely different word. And, come to think of it, you do it with ALUMINIUM as well.
Oh, oh, I got one. In fact the king of 'em all: NUCLEAR! You US'ns actually use a completely different word. And, come to think of it, you do it with ALUMINIUM as well.
If you mean "nucular," well, Jimmy Carter says that, but he says "goobers," too. And we do it with titanium.
If you mean "nucular," well, Jimmy Carter says that, but he says "goobers," too.
An adroit comment, IP! After all, a goober is a nucleus, etymologicaly speaking.
What do you call a hazelnut? Around here they're called filberts, but yankee yuppies insist on hazelnuts. That seems to be a drift from specific to general terms, similar to what hapened when quartz-iodine (that's ee-o-deen, not eye-oh-dyne, right?) headlights became quartz-halogen headlights. (Salt-producing lights?)
, you do it with ALUMINIUM as well
My former father-in-law couldn't make his mouth move right for either pronunciation, and it came out "aloonyum!" I should have taken a clue from that, as it probably told me something about the family into which I was marrying.
but at least US spell it Aluminum as they say it (I think). There was a fuss in the media here end of last year about standardising spellings of scientific words "to avoid confusion", with school kids having to use the standard spellings from now on, and having to change "sulphate" to "sulfate" and "foetus" to "fetus". The only saving grace is that the official term for "Aluminum" is "Aluminium".(altered cos the capital I looked like an L)! The education authorities eventually backed off a little.
Carribean = Ca-rib-BEE-an (slight emphasis on 3rd syllable) in UK. US = Cu-RIB-ian as I remember. (I'm exagerating slightly with my lack of knowledge on the correct markup for pronounciation) Rod
Carribean = Ca-rib-BEE-an (slight emphasis on 3rd syllable) in UK. US = Cu-RIB-ian as I remember.
that word has long given me angst, and i try to avoid saying it altogether (really, i do ).
from what i can gather, USans do say cu-RIB-ian, but word to the wise: if you call the disneyland ride "Pirates of the Cu-RIB-ian", your friends and family will laugh at you . evidently it's an iambic quadrameter (?) thing, dunno.
Carribean = Ca-rib-BEE-an (slight emphasis on 3rd syllable) in UK. US = Cu-RIB-ian as I remember.
I've certainly heard both among US'ns.
if you call the disneyland ride "Pirates of the Cu-RIB-ian", your friends and family will laugh at you . evidently it's an iambic quadrameter (?) thing
Hmm, that would require you to say PY ruts OF the CAIR uh BEE un. I like the swing of PY ruts of the cuh RIB ee un better.
Hmm, that would require you to say PY ruts OF the CAIR uh BEE un. I like the swing of PY ruts of the cuh RIB ee un better.
Wow, *really*?? Next time i go to Disneyland, i'm taking you
[vindicated-e]
EDIT: oh, and btw, in re-reading your post it occurs to me that you might not think that "PY ruts OF the CAIR uh BEE un" is how those 'in the know' pronounce it, but Yes, there is indeed an emphasis on "of". silly, isn't it?
oh, boy... now i'll be whistling YoHo YoHo a Pirate's Life for Me all day long...
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site.
Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to
hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.
How about laboratory?
Thinking about it now, the matter of stress generates enough controversy to finance a harassment suit, citing invasion of privacy.
) one who is under a mariner.
I should have taken a clue from that, as it probably told me something about the family into which I was marrying.
).
. evidently it's an iambic quadrameter (?) thing, dunno.
