Pronunciation Question

[tealin]

Obviously, I've been rereading Monstrous Regiment ... but I've been seized by doubt:

Polly's family name, Perks – is it pronounced like a plural of perk, or is it like clerk, derby, and Berkshire in that the 'er' is pronounced like 'ar,' thus making it 'Parks' and much easier for Strappi (and assorted others) to turn into 'Parts'? I tried finding some sample clips of the book on tape but the only one I found was a big stretch of internal monologue with no mention of names at all.

Help?

EDIT: Thanks karwei – yet another yawning gap of uncertainty has closed in my life. :)

Comments

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

Once upon a time Vs were written as Us, so maybe lieutenant was a word that just didn't make the transition – was originally pronounced lievtenant but spelled lieutenant.

Of course, this is entirely conjecture, and completely ignores the fact that in French, 'lieu tenant' is literally 'place holding' and makes a little more sense ... and my brain is on weekend mode. :P

England

[ianfinerty.livejournal.com]

Yes we English are a funny breed. We pronounce lieutenant as leftenant.

"The English pronunciation was prevalent during the 14th and 15th centuries with the word being variously spelled as lieftenant, lyeftenant or luftenant. It may have originated from a mistaken reading of the 'u' as a 'v' (u and v originally were written as the same letter), with v eventually assimilating in voice to /f/. Some sources state that the original French word lieu had an alternative form spelt and pronounced lieuf, and that the modern standard English form retains the former spelling and the latter pronunciation."

And that is apparently why. So you're about right with the whole Frenchy-u/v-misreading thingy stuff.
P.S. We also pronounce the name Featherstone-Haugh like Fanshaw.

Re: England

[tannhaeuser.livejournal.com]

Re: England

[ianfinerty.livejournal.com]

We're also responsible for the phrase a flange of baboons. I felt it necessary that this was known.

Re: England

[naturalblue208.livejournal.com]

just had to butt in quickly with a cheer for Wodehouse!