Interstellar_1@lemmy.blahaj.zone to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.worldEnglish · 21 days agoWhat is the (subjectively) weirdest word in the English language?message-squaremessage-square215fedilinkarrow-up11arrow-down10
arrow-up11arrow-down1message-squareWhat is the (subjectively) weirdest word in the English language?Interstellar_1@lemmy.blahaj.zone to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.worldEnglish · 21 days agomessage-square215fedilink
minus-squareEiri@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up0·20 days agoI dunno if it’s the weirdest but “pronunciation” is pretty weird. Why is it “pronUnciation” but “pronOUnce”?
minus-squaretigeruppercut@lemmy.ziplinkfedilinkarrow-up0·20 days agoSimilarly I hate that restaurateur drops the n in restaurant
minus-squareEiri@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up0·20 days agoIf it consoles you, I can explain the reason for that one. They both come from the verb restaurer (to restore). Restaurant being the present participle in this case. In French, “ant” is equivalent to the English suffix “ing”. And restaurateur is “one who restores”.
I dunno if it’s the weirdest but “pronunciation” is pretty weird.
Why is it “pronUnciation” but “pronOUnce”?
Similarly I hate that restaurateur drops the n in restaurant
If it consoles you, I can explain the reason for that one.
They both come from the verb restaurer (to restore). Restaurant being the present participle in this case. In French, “ant” is equivalent to the English suffix “ing”.
And restaurateur is “one who restores”.