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Polly
Joined: 13 Nov 2004
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 2:21 am
Post subject: Ax instead of Ask |
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How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
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Tony Cooper
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 6:00 am
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 20:05:34 -0600, pdo@uwm-dot-edu.no-spam.invalid
(Polly) wrote:
| Quote: | How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
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It's as simple as writing "is" for "it" in a sentence complaining
about other people's errors. |
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Christopher Green
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 6:00 am
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 20:05:34 -0600, pdo@uwm-dot-edu.no-spam.invalid
(Polly) wrote:
| Quote: | How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
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Not a mispronunciation. It's an alternative with a history going back
at least as far as Chaucer.
--
Chris Green
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Peter Duncanson
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 3:00 pm
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 20:05:34 -0600, pdo@uwm-dot-edu.no-spam.invalid (Polly)
wrote:
| Quote: | How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
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How is it possible to mispronounce "brid" as "bird"?
How is is possible to mispronounce "an eute" as "newt"?
Both of these have been around for so long that we have even changed the
spelling to match the mispronunciation.
These things happen.
--
Peter Duncanson
UK (posting from a.e.u) |
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Peter Duncanson
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 6:00 pm
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 20:05:34 -0600, pdo@uwm-dot-edu.no-spam.invalid (Polly)
wrote:
| Quote: | How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
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[My second reply to this question.]
Those who pronounce "ask" as "aks" (ax) are simply copying the way their
friends, etc. pronounce the word.
Let's not forget that a person's first language is learnt in spoken form
long before the person learns the artificial skills of reading and writing.
--
Peter Duncanson
UK (posting from a.e.u) |
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George Hardy
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 6:00 pm
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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Christopher Green <cj.green@att.net> wrote in message news:<6e1bp0hstg52rn4e1cbfupt4v6rlnbjdmd@4ax.com>...
| Quote: | On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 20:05:34 -0600, pdo@uwm-dot-edu.no-spam.invalid
(Polly) wrote:
How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
Not a mispronunciation. It's an alternative with a history going back
at least as far as Chaucer.
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Be that as it may, this mispronunciation is a clear
indication of a poor upbringing. It should be avoided,
even it Chaucer used it.
GFH |
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Raymond S. Wise
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 9:00 pm
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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"George Hardy" <georgeh@ankerstein.org> wrote in message
news:357803cb.0411130856.36511bae@posting.google.com...
| Quote: | Christopher Green <cj.green@att.net> wrote in message
news:<6e1bp0hstg52rn4e1cbfupt4v6rlnbjdmd@4ax.com>...
On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 20:05:34 -0600, pdo@uwm-dot-edu.no-spam.invalid
(Polly) wrote:
How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
Not a mispronunciation. It's an alternative with a history going back
at least as far as Chaucer.
Be that as it may, this mispronunciation is a clear
indication of a poor upbringing. It should be avoided,
even it Chaucer used it.
|
There are people who are bidialectal, or to be more precise, diglossic (that
is, able to speak the standard dialect of a society equally fluently as
their vernacular). They certainly cannot be said to have had a poor
upbringing based upon their speech, although in this country they may well
have grown up poor. In other societies, however, including among those who
speak Swiss German as their vernacular, diglossia is the norm in all levels
of society.
--
Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com |
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Carmen L. Abruzzi
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 12:00 am
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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Polly wrote:
| Quote: | How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
Lots of English words are mispronounced. Compare the |
pronunciation of English vowels with vowels in other
languages. "Boot" should be pronounced as "boat" is, as the
same-spelled word is in German. And all those silent final
"e"s should be pronounced. English is a mess. |
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Carmen L. Abruzzi
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 3:00 am
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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George Hardy wrote:
| Quote: | Christopher Green <cj.green@att.net> wrote in message news:<6e1bp0hstg52rn4e1cbfupt4v6rlnbjdmd@4ax.com>...
On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 20:05:34 -0600, pdo@uwm-dot-edu.no-spam.invalid
(Polly) wrote:
How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
Not a mispronunciation. It's an alternative with a history going back
at least as far as Chaucer.
Be that as it may, this mispronunciation is a clear
indication of a poor upbringing. It should be avoided,
even it Chaucer used it.
|
Yes. Although the original form *was* "ax", it was a tragic
incident during the reign of King Henry Two that led to the
mangled "ask" pronunciation. Some of Henry's knights came
to him with their uncertainty about the loyalty of Henry's
recent choice for Archbishop of Canterbury. "We don't know
if he supports your majesty or the Pope", they said. The
king replied, "well, why don't you just ax him?".
After that, the king declared that the word should
theretofore be "ask". |
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Phil C.
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 3:00 pm
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 14:56:57 -0800, "Carmen L. Abruzzi"
<carmenlabruzzi@yahoo.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Polly wrote:
How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
Lots of English words are mispronounced. Compare the
pronunciation of English vowels with vowels in other
languages. "Boot" should be pronounced as "boat" is, as the
same-spelled word is in German. And all those silent final
"e"s should be pronounced. English is a mess.
|
What I want to know is how a "bastard asphodel" ever became a
"daffodil"
--
Phil C. |
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Steve Howarth
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 6:00 pm
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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"Polly" <pdo@uwm-dot-edu.no-spam.invalid> wrote in message
news:zOSdneGC77hz9gjcRVn_vQ@giganews.com...
| Quote: | How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
|
There is a reasonably comprehensive answer to this at
http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19991216. I find it
unconvincing, nonetheless. I'd say that any use of "Ax" by someone born in
the UK in the last 30 years was merely an conscious attempt to sound
different (hard, cool, ethnic, gangsta etc. etc.). But then, this is
exactly what such people are doing these days.
Steve Howarth |
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James F. Chumbley
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:01 am
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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I am astounded at this posting. Henry II spoke only French.
"Carmen L. Abruzzi" <carmenlabruzzi@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:2vnns5F2m1fjqU1@uni-berlin.de...
| Quote: | George Hardy wrote:
Christopher Green <cj.green@att.net> wrote in message
news:<6e1bp0hstg52rn4e1cbfupt4v6rlnbjdmd@4ax.com>...
On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 20:05:34 -0600, pdo@uwm-dot-edu.no-spam.invalid
(Polly) wrote:
How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
Not a mispronunciation. It's an alternative with a history going back
at least as far as Chaucer.
Be that as it may, this mispronunciation is a clear
indication of a poor upbringing. It should be avoided,
even it Chaucer used it.
Yes. Although the original form *was* "ax", it was a tragic incident
during the reign of King Henry Two that led to the mangled "ask"
pronunciation. Some of Henry's knights came to him with their uncertainty
about the loyalty of Henry's recent choice for Archbishop of Canterbury.
"We don't know if he supports your majesty or the Pope", they said. The
king replied, "well, why don't you just ax him?".
After that, the king declared that the word should theretofore be "ask". |
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James F. Chumbley
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:01 am
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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The pronunciation of the word "ask" as "ax" was standard in the form of
fossil English spoken by my Grandmother. She was born in roughly 1885 and
was "raised," not reared, in the American South in the Ozark Plateau, a
region covering the western portions of Missouri and Arkansas. She lived in
Arkansas.
As children of one of her daughters, who spoke and wrote perfect
English, we were horrified to hear Grandmother say "ax." I would give
everything I own today to talk again with her for one single day.
Jim Chumbley
"Polly" <pdo@uwm-dot-edu.no-spam.invalid> wrote in message
news:zOSdneGC77hz9gjcRVn_vQ@giganews.com...
| Quote: | How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
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Carmen L. Abruzzi
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:01 am
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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James F. Chumbley wrote:
| Quote: | "Carmen L. Abruzzi" <carmenlabruzzi@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:2vnns5F2m1fjqU1@uni-berlin.de...
Yes. Although the original form *was* "ax", it was a tragic incident
during the reign of King Henry Two that led to the mangled "ask"
pronunciation. Some of Henry's knights came to him with their uncertainty
about the loyalty of Henry's recent choice for Archbishop of Canterbury.
"We don't know if he supports your majesty or the Pope", they said. The
king replied, "well, why don't you just ax him?".
After that, the king declared that the word should theretofore be "ask".
I am astounded at this posting. Henry II spoke only French.
Nonsense. Haven't you seen _The Lion in Winter_? |
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Raymond S. Wise
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:01 am
Post subject: Re: Ax instead of Ask |
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[Post rearranged to put messages in chronological order]
"James F. Chumbley" <jamesfchumbley@att.net> wrote in message
news:b6Vld.20749$7i4.13563@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
| Quote: | "Carmen L. Abruzzi" <carmenlabruzzi@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:2vnns5F2m1fjqU1@uni-berlin.de...
George Hardy wrote:
Christopher Green <cj.green@att.net> wrote in message
news:<6e1bp0hstg52rn4e1cbfupt4v6rlnbjdmd@4ax.com>...
On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 20:05:34 -0600, pdo@uwm-dot-edu.no-spam.invalid
(Polly) wrote:
How is is possible to mispronounce such a simple word?
Not a mispronunciation. It's an alternative with a history going back
at least as far as Chaucer.
Be that as it may, this mispronunciation is a clear
indication of a poor upbringing. It should be avoided,
even it Chaucer used it.
Yes. Although the original form *was* "ax", it was a tragic incident
during the reign of King Henry Two that led to the mangled "ask"
pronunciation. Some of Henry's knights came to him with their
uncertainty
about the loyalty of Henry's recent choice for Archbishop of Canterbury.
"We don't know if he supports your majesty or the Pope", they said. The
king replied, "well, why don't you just ax him?".
After that, the king declared that the word should theretofore be "ask".
|
| Quote: | I am astounded at this posting. Henry II spoke only French.
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*Ahem!* Carmen's post was a joke in the form of a "just so" story. "Aks" for
"ask" goes back at least as far as Old English "ācsian." "Āscian" was
another variant in Old English (I've used a circumflex here instead of a
macron). I doubt that anyone can say with certainty which version actually
came first. Even if "āscian" happened to be the first version attested in
print, that would not prove that it was the first version used in speech.
--
Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com |
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