As a novice paleontologist/archaeologist I've been familiar with "Neanderthal" since I was a small boy, pronounced and spelled with the soft 'th'. Neanderthal being, to those of you who may be unfamiliar, a species of prehistoric 'man' who most paleontologists and anthropologists believe became extinct due to a lack of an ability to compete
with the more well-adapted homo sapien, Cro-Magnon Man. I also studied German and am well-aware of the literal German pronunication of the 'th' as a hard 't'. But, until the past few years, to my knowledge the soft 'th' was ALWAYS the accepted tenet. Then, suddenly, the adopted pronunciation has changed to the hard 't', and the spelling in many quarters has dropped the 'h' altogether. In fact, a recent cover story in no less an authority than Archaeology Magazine (Fall 2000, I believe) used the "no-h" spelling. And the recent special on Discovery, "Neandethal," fully adopted the new "hard-t" pronunciation, but included the "h" in the spelling! I'm mystified as to when and why this change transpired and who deemed it so...does anybody have the answer? I'd love to know! (Or is this just, perhaps, some sudden mass confusion?...or war of preference?) Hard as I try I just can't get used to the new one, and so I've decided to be stubborn and stick with the old...I like it better, anyway! I'm really hoping one of you can clear this up for me!
