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Location: Liverpool, UK
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,477
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Originally Posted by Helena54
Whilst posting, there is something else that gets right up my nose, and I may actually be wrong on this one (that'll be a first!). The word "controversey". Now, I always say con
troversy, but a lot of the newscasters say contro
versy, so I have to say it out loudly each time - my way!!!
Who's right on this one then???? Not that it'll change anything for me, I will still say it the way (I think) it should be said!
This is an interesting one, I remember asking my mum and dad about it years ago when I realised that most of my friends said ki
lometre although we'd always said kilo
metre. My mum studied languages at university, and both my parents are intersted in liguistics and etymology, so they whipped out the dictionaries and gave me a quick lesson in phonetic spellings. The original, correct pronunciation of most of these four-syllable words is to put the emphasis on the second to last syllable (contro
versy). This tradition comes straight from Latin, and is still very much the rule in modern Italian. More and more these days, people put the stress on the second syllable (con
troversy) because it's marginally easier to get the word out that way. This cultural "laziness"
has actually led to there being two accepted ways of pronouncing the words, and in some modern dictionaries, there are two alternative phonetic spellings given. Certain institutions do (quite rightly, in my opinion) insist on their members sticking to the traditional spellings and pronunciations. I believe news readers are coached in pronunciation before they're let loose on the public.
I find poor spelling and loose grammar much more difficult to follow than good writing. There's a reason why languages have rules to follow and it comes down to ease of communication. I don't have a problem with slang, or with additions to the language, and obviously some people are going to have more trouble with spelling than others, but I find it difficult to accept the obvious lack of care some people give it. I also think that, while modernisation of the language has its place, in some contexts we need continuity in our written and spoken English. Official documents and scientific reports should stick to immaculate spelling and grammar, right down to putting foreign words in italics and a circumflex above the "o" in role
What's more, children should be taught to read and write this kind of English to make the world a more accessible (sp?!) place.