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#137382 01/22/05 12:45 PM
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Well, there is a point at least in reading desired stress of syllables as intended. Here's a bit of verse I wrote a long time ago, and the stress on 'mis' in 'miscellany' is desirable in order to match the stress on 'sleight':

"I know a man who gathers and scatters.
He offers a miscellany of sleight of hand,
propels old doves high into the air
from his secret cages.
He folds around me tightly as a shell
while peas appear and vanish."

If the stress had been on 'cell,' I wouldn't have written the line that way.


#137383 01/22/05 03:08 PM
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tsuwm Offline OP
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well, of course, oftroy is right, and so is Wordwind. (hi milo.)

but the pronunciation that I linked to above won the Merriam-Webster preferred pronunciation contest. so there.

I must say, with my ear, which is according to my latest test rated at 60% distortion, I cannot discriminate between the major and minor accent (except with my still perfect reading ear).

this is how AHD marks it.
MIS-uh-LAY-nee

incidentally, the two .wav files sound like the same voice to me.

[AHD .wav file available on request, or you could use onelook to get to it. : ]


#137384 01/22/05 03:10 PM
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tsuwm Offline OP
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how does the group (ha!) pronounce miscellaneous?


#137385 01/22/05 03:12 PM
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Miscellany = Mississippi

... that really is your voice, ain't it, Mr.T?


#137386 01/22/05 03:13 PM
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strongest stress on LANE in miscellaneous; slight stress on mis-


#137387 01/22/05 03:14 PM
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miss uh LAY nee us


#137388 01/22/05 03:59 PM
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journeyman
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miss-CELL-uh-knee

Dr. Bill and I have exchanged messages about this subject, and he presented the fact that indeed misc- is the root of the word, per Latin miscere (to mix), so it seems proper it should be emphasized. But from this root comes the Latin miscellus, for which both of the first two syllables are long (and it sounds better saying miss-KELL-us or miss-CELL-us, eh?)[.] Then those silly Latins added another suffix and created the word "miscellaneus", in which the "mis" and the "a" are emphasized (and the "a" is probably more emphasized) - and this is the word from which we get miscellan y/eous. So I'm sure "MIS-cell-EY'-nee-us" is the more proper. Maybe misCELLanee is just a corruption.

Edit: oops, misread your post.

I say MISS-sell-LANE-e-yuss (greatest accent on "lane").

#137389 01/22/05 04:20 PM
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> miss uh LAY nee us

I'm close to Fong and W2 -

MIss-er-LANE-ee-us


#137390 01/22/05 08:15 PM
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MISS suh la NEE yus

Good God yall, how do people understand you all when you speak?




#137391 01/23/05 04:39 PM
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Just to be sure, everyone understood my merry jab at Mizz J, yes?


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