Recently I came across a meme that said, "If you run into someone who mispronounces something, be nice. They probably learned it just by reading."
That made me think of the English language and how difficult it is to master. I realize that English is a conglomerate of many languages and in order to master it, you really should be versed in at least a few other languages such as Latin, German, Hebrew, and French.
That made me think of the English language and how difficult it is to master. I realize that English is a conglomerate of many languages and in order to master it, you really should be versed in at least a few other languages such as Latin, German, Hebrew, and French.
I think about my husband's ancestors who immigrated from Scandinavia and became pioneers in Utah. In their isolated farming community, they had to pick up English from other immigrants from many other places (including Americans who had not seen much of the inside of a school in their entire lives). They sometimes had to just go with their best guesses (as to pronunciation) when learning from books.
For example, many English words look like they would follow the textbook rules of pronunciation, but don't. My husband's aunt and mother's names look like they would have the same endings. Janice and Clarice. All while growing up, her family and friends called my mother-in-law "Clar - is" following the same pattern as "Jan - is" with the accent on the first syllable. Little did they know that the beautiful name the grandma read in a book actually came from France and was pronounced "Clar - ees" with the accent on the second syllable.
Later, when my mother-in-law left the tiny farming community and moved with her husband to the metropolis of Los Angeles, people she met kept calling her "Clar-ees." Because she was so shy, she just let them. She was also very shy about reading out loud in public meetings. Throughout her life, she was never confident in her pronunciation skills.
Yes, let this be a lesson to all. Be nice to people who mispronounce words. They probably learned by just reading.
For example, many English words look like they would follow the textbook rules of pronunciation, but don't. My husband's aunt and mother's names look like they would have the same endings. Janice and Clarice. All while growing up, her family and friends called my mother-in-law "Clar - is" following the same pattern as "Jan - is" with the accent on the first syllable. Little did they know that the beautiful name the grandma read in a book actually came from France and was pronounced "Clar - ees" with the accent on the second syllable.
Later, when my mother-in-law left the tiny farming community and moved with her husband to the metropolis of Los Angeles, people she met kept calling her "Clar-ees." Because she was so shy, she just let them. She was also very shy about reading out loud in public meetings. Throughout her life, she was never confident in her pronunciation skills.
Yes, let this be a lesson to all. Be nice to people who mispronounce words. They probably learned by just reading.
However, this also made me think of how singers and musicians throughout history have helped educate the populace. Through their music, singers provided slick ways to remember oral history and preserve arts, as well as expose people to other cultures. Musicians tended to be some of the most educated people in town. Through their teaching and performing, they helped bring artistry, culture and education to even the outermost communities on the frontier.
Hurray for Music and Musicians!
Hurray for Music and Musicians!
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