This was because the rank was bestowed upon the commander of a column of troops. This word was then adopted by the French, who translated the term in their own language, converted the word ‘colonnello’ to the word ‘coronel’. This is the reason why ‘colonel’ is pronounced ‘kernel’.
Why is colonel pronounced wrong?
Why is the word “colonel” pronounced with an “r” sound when it is not spelled with an “r”? “Colonel” came to English from the mid-16th-century French word coronelle, meaning commander of a regiment, or column, of soldiers. By the mid-17th century, the spelling and French pronunciation had changed to colonnel.
Why is colonel not pronounced kernel?
By around the 17th century, the word began appearing in military treaties across Europe. So, the written form of the word (colonel) and the spoken (“kernel”) were both being used. In English, a combination won out. Colonel was spelled c-o-l-o-n-e-l but pronounced “kernel.”
Is L silent in colonel?
There is no silent letter in the word colonel. Here the word sounds like r. This is a clear case of dissimilation of spelling. The origin of this strange pronunciation starts in the middle Ages in Italy, where a military officer used to be addressed officially as “colonello.”
Where does the R sound come from in colonel?
Colonel derives from Latin columella, “a little column.” At some point, the first “l” became an “r,” and the word became established in French as coronel. The coronel was the officer who led the “little column” of troops at the head of a regiment.
Why do British say leftenant?
According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. The lower ranked soldier on the “left” protected the senior officers left side. Therefore, the term leftenant developed.
Why do British pronounce clerk as Clark?
It was spelled both clark and clerk. Because the word clerk was pronounced with (är) rather than (ĕr) in the south of England, the vowels in the word did not become (ûr).
How is salmon pronounced?
The pronunciation of salmon is often object of confusion. In English, the correct pronunciation of salmon is sam-un. The “l” in salmon is silent. However, in certain dialects and varieties of English salmon is occasionally pronounced with an “l”.
Why is SERgeant pronounced SARgent?
Per the Naval Historical Center: The English borrowed the word “sergeant” from the French in about the Thirteenth Century. They spelled it several different ways and pronounced it both as SARgent and SERgeant. The latter was closer to the French pronunciation.
Why does Lamb have a silent b?
Silent b is introduced in the word ‘lamb’. To help remember this silent letter, there is a story of how the word was originally spelt – lambaz – in old Germanic. Over time the ‘baz’ at the end of the word was dropped from the pronunciation but the ‘b’ remained in the spelling of the word.
Why L is silent in walk?
Many students try to pronounce these Ls, but in all these words, the L is completely silent. In walk, chalk, and talk, the L comes after an A, and the vowel is pronounced like a short O.
Why is there an R in February?
Have you ever wondered why February has that random, silent first r? Well, February, like the names of most months, has Latin roots. It descended from Februarius, a month in the ancient Roman calendar. The name actually comes from the festival of februum, a purification ritual celebrated during the month.
Why is colonel spelled with an L?
English influence on the word ‘Colonel’
One is Italian, which uses the letter ‘l’, and the other is French, which uses the letter ‘r’. The English and the French have always had a strained but intense relationship with each other. Obviously, it would make sense for the French word to be used by English people first.
Which letter is silent in salmon?
silent l
171: The silent l in the word ‘salmon’ — Pronuncian: American English Pronunciation.
Why do the British say bloody?
Bloody. Don’t worry, it’s not a violent word… it has nothing to do with “blood”.”Bloody” is a common word to give more emphasis to the sentence, mostly used as an exclamation of surprise. Something may be “bloody marvellous” or “bloody awful“. Having said that, British people do sometimes use it when expressing anger…
Why do British say Zed?
The British and others pronounce “z”, “zed”, owing to the origin of the letter “z”, the Greek letter “Zeta”. This gave rise to the Old French “zede”, which resulted in the English “zed” around the 15th century.
Why do British people say mum?
In British English, it is mostly used as a sign of repect for a woman of superior rank, say, in the military or police. In the film clip, Keeley Hawes appears to be playing the Prime Minister, whose bodyguard addresses her as ‘ma’am’ with the reduced vowel.
Why do Brits say Darby instead of Derby?
Derby means a horse race, a contest open to all comers or a sporting event between two local teams. In British English, derby is pronounced dar-bee. In American English, derby is pronounced dur-bee. Unfortunately, more often than not, I hear Americans — including a number of folks at The18 — pronounce derby as dar-bee.
How do Brits pronounce Ralph?
(In Northern England – or at least in Northumberland – “Ralph” apparently used to be pronounced /ra:f/, very roughly so that it rhymed with the contemporary American pronunciation of “half” and “calf”.)
Why do English people pronounce Derby as Darby?
The pronunciation came about because of the famous British inland pirate. When asked what he’s looking for inland, he said “Dar be treasure”. It’s not that neatly divided. Some areas of Britain say darbee, some say derbee.
Is L in almond silent?
More recent standard dictionaries say we can now properly pronounce “almond” either with or without the “l” sound.
