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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 7
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 7 |
Hmm. One of those things you never think about until someone else draws attention to it. I don't think I was actually TAUGHT to make a distinction between envelop-noun and envelop-verb, but I do anyway:
AHN-velope: the noun
en-VEL-up: the verb
wordfreak in MA
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
Reminds me of the story of the very handsome lawyer who was on vacation somewhere beyond yonder, and decided he'd spend some time writing letters. He hiked into town and went to the local general store, where he asked the quite delightful looking young lady running the place, "Do you keep stationery?" Her response was a giggle, followed by, "Well, at least until the last few seconds, then I get a little wild."
TEd
PS
Welcome to our hollowed halls. Sometimes they echo a bit.
TR
TEd
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11 |
I usually say,
EN-velope: the noun
en-VEL-up: the verb
but my mother says "AHN-velope" for the noun. She also says "b-AH-th" (although she'll say "bathroom", as in "cat".)
Also, I work with a Canadian woman who says "EN-velope" for the verb, too. Is that a Canadian English-ism, Bean?
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 322
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 322 |
I run with the EN-crowd, but seem to be in the minority in my office, where colleagues (also Canadian, like me) tend to go with ON-velope. I've never heard the ON-start to the verb.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
Greetings and welcome, CJ. Great E-mail addy you have! 
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
I think, inuodie, that for the verb I agree with boronia: I've never heard the ON-start to the verb. Therefore your Canadian colleague may be in the minority for that one.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
ON and ahn are very similar... maybe ON is just a varient...
and i think i agree, i know i use both, En-velope and Ahn-velope, would definately use envelope as a verb..(the car slowly faded from view as it was envoloped in the fog..)
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 27
newbie
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newbie
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 27 |
Thanks A. Lest you or anyone else concludes from my e-mail address that I'm some sort of knife wielding stalker, relax. When not enjoying the English language, I sell and service knives.
Great site here. I look forward to my eventual Old Handedness or Grand PooBah-hood, whichever comes first.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346 |
ON and ahn are very similar...Not to UK (inner) ears, Helen. At least I don't think so (would be happy to be corrected). ahn to a Brit is more like "Ann", dwelling on the "a" sound. The "ah" is like what we say at the doctor's. The "arn" sound in "aren't" goes in a slightly more "o- in on" direction, veering towards "aw-" a bit. Difficult to distinguish from the first example, I suppose. Still a long way away from "on" though. What we need are elocution diagrams and/or sound files. 
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
What we need are elocution diagrams and/or sound files.
Or the IPA, mein ephew.
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