Question about pronunciation

Khanada Faye · 18-05-06 03:50:28

Hi, all. I was wondering--do people in other English-speaking countries (outside of North America) pronounce the L in salmon?

Your feedback is much appreciated

ashmedi · 18-05-06 03:58:35

Ha, I just answered your Blog.

I'm not outside North America because I'm in Ontario Canada, but I will answer you anyway because ........... just because.

I (we) do not pronounce the L, it is silent, just like the second L in Llama, and for the life of me, I cannot seem to think of another.

blissed · 18-05-06 04:23:22

I live in England and nobody pronounces the L. Good job English is my first language. there must be thousands of anomalies. I'd never be able to learn it.

dontbeshy · 18-05-06 05:16:50

I posted to your forum as well, but here goes anyway. . .

I have a friend who pronouces the L in salmon. I try to "correct" him, but he ignores me and continues to this day. Drives me crazy!

Other English words that are pronouced differently by region etc:
compass -- pronouce the o as uh {southern us} versus aw {nothern us}
nuclear -- nuke-ular {west Texas} nuclear {most everywhere else}
often-- silent T; sourthern us pronounce T {both correct}
tortilla-- ll sounds like long E, not like ll in Llama

There are too many to list. Speaking of US/North America dialects, I feel like the homoginization of the English language makes it more and more difficult to isolate regional dialects. We all start to sound like the people on TV. Wonder if others feel the same is true of their area dialects?

nihpuad · 18-05-06 05:20:22

ashmedi wrote:

...the L [in "salmon"] ... is silent, just like the second L in Llama,

I'm pretty sure it's the first L that's silent! <GD&RLH!>

Burlesque · 18-05-06 09:31:50

Burlesque.

Elfman · 18-05-06 10:29:39

Never heard of anyone pronouncing the "L". As a matter of interest Khanada Faye why do you ask?

Elfman

(Completley un-called for, none diverse, super pedantic, word facist comment follows: ).

American pronunciations which really irritate me:

Schedule
Dune
controversy
Data
Worcestershire sauce

ashmedi · 18-05-06 12:11:07

dauphinb2 wrote:

ashmedi wrote:
...the L [in "salmon"] ... is silent, just like the second L in Llama,
I'm pretty sure it's the first L that's silent! <GD&RLH!>

Maybe we need to set up a poll ??

Elfman · 18-05-06 12:47:19

ashmedi wrote:

I (we) do not pronounce the L, it is silent, just like the second L in Llama, and for the life of me, I cannot seem to think of another.

Question:

Do the Welsh pronounce it "Flarmar" .

Khanada Faye · 18-05-06 17:42:45

Elfman wrote:

Never heard of anyone pronouncing the "L". As a matter of interest Khanada Faye why do you ask?
Elfman
(Completley un-called for, none diverse, super pedantic, word facist comment follows: ).
American pronunciations which really irritate me:
Schedule
Dune
controversy
Data
Worcestershire sauce

Hey, at least we pronounce controversy the way it's spelled (the way the British pronounce that one irritates me )

The reason I ask is this: I was raised by two parents for whom English was not their first language (Maltese is)--though they do speak impeccable English (despite certain, but few, mispronunciations). All of my relatives who are Maltese born and raised pronounce the L in salmon. Since salmon isn't one of of those words that comes up in regular everyday conversation--but rather exists mostly around the home (when deciding what to cook, for example)--I've mostly just been exposed to it by my family. So I've just always said it this way, not knowing that this might be the wrong way to say it. That's what sounds normal to me--leaving the L out sounds strange. It drives my boyfriend (whose family has longer been rooted in the States--he is not of Maltese descent) crazy . So I was just wondering if this was, indeed, a mispronunciation, or if anyone else actually said it this way.

I was hoping to get a different kind of feedback than what I'm actually getting--you know, that I could tell him people in other countries say it this way, so neither of us is right or wrong. Either way, I'm not going to change it. Every time I try to leave out the L, it just feels wrong to me. Besides, when you say it with the L it sounds just as delectable as it tastes--it's a sexy word with the L. It has no presence the other way

Have you ever noticed that people pronounce "clitoris" differently? I've had this discussion with a friend of mine. She prefers the pronunciation which places the stress on the second syllable--the "or"--because she feels that gives the word weight and makes it seem more powerful. I prefer the way it sounds with the stress placed on the first syllable, because then it sounds fluttery, like a flower, which just makes it a prettier word to me.

How do you all pronounce it?

Jakeview · 19-05-06 09:34:06

dontbeshy wrote:

I have a friend who pronouces the L in salmon. I try to "correct" him, but he ignores me and continues to this day. Drives me crazy!

Start serving trout.

Jakeview · 19-05-06 09:40:09

Khanada Faye wrote:

Have you ever noticed that people pronounce "clitoris" differently? I've had this discussion with a friend of mine. She prefers the pronunciation which places the stress on the second syllable--the "or"--because she feels that gives the word weight and makes it seem more powerful. I prefer the way it sounds with the stress placed on the first syllable, because then it sounds fluttery, like a flower, which just makes it a prettier word to me.
How do you all pronounce it?

I prefer your pronunciation but, since that Seinfeld episode where the woman's name rhymed with a female body part, I've almost involuntarily said it like your friend does. Like my brain hears "Dolores" and quickly switches it before I speak.

Nowaysis · 19-05-06 11:52:33

Indeed [clit'oris] sounds like a name.

"Clit'oris, come here!"

blissed · 19-05-06 13:23:51

Well it is a name. Cle is short for 'Cle Taurus' search for Cle at ISM

cynicism · 19-05-06 23:41:59

I've never heard anyone pronounce the L in SALMON. The idea surprised me. Yet the L is pronounced in SALMONELLA, even though it starts with the same six letters - only now does this occur to me as odd.

My father used to say "The P is silent in SWIMMING" (say it aloud).

dontbeshy · 20-05-06 01:28:56

Jakeview wrote:

dontbeshy wrote:
I have a friend who pronouces the L in salmon. I try to "correct" him, but he ignores me and continues to this day. Drives me crazy!
Start serving trout.

Well the oocurance, salmon with the L, is common because my friend salmon fishes in Alaska and then has a BIG cook out for his friends here in town. I don't want to push too far and get myself uninvited.

BTW I love ELFMAN's list of American pronunciations. Well I have one response for that: Steve Irwin {Austrialia Zoo, Crocidile Hunter guy}. I love the guy, but he lays it on pretty thick. Americans eat that Crocidile Dundee stuff up, BY KIRCKY!! Truly though, I am mostly annoyed that all women do not have an Austrialian accent. Its so sultry!!

nihpuad · 20-05-06 07:08:08

Nowaysis wrote:

Indeed [clit'oris] sounds like a name.
"Clit'oris, come here!"

There was an episode of Seinfeld based on something like this: Jerry met a woman he liked, and he couldn't remember her name... but he could remember that she had joked about how tough it was growing up with a name that rhymed with an intimate part of the female anatomy. IIRC, the name turned out to be "Regina" (pronounced with a long I), but one of the names they guessed was "Dolores." (Amusingly, Jerry also guessed, in desperation, "Mulva"!)

Nowaysis · 20-05-06 09:42:42

The first time I heard the name-pronunciation of clitoris was actually in a movie (I think it was an Irish one), where a couple of women (moderately young) were talking about sex, and one of the fessed up to always thinking it was pronounced [clit'oris], and the others laughed and said it sounded like a name. I have seen the Seinfeld episode in question though, but probably never in its entirety, so I must have missed the clitoris joke.

Jakeview · 20-05-06 09:51:37

dauphinb2 wrote:

Nowaysis wrote:
Indeed [clit'oris] sounds like a name.
"Clit'oris, come here!"
There was an episode of Seinfeld based on something like this: Jerry met a woman he liked, and he couldn't remember her name... but he could remember that she had joked about how tough it was growing up with a name that rhymed with an intimate part of the female anatomy. IIRC, the name turned out to be "Regina" (pronounced with a long I), but one of the names they guessed was "Dolores." (Amusingly, Jerry also guessed, in desperation, "Mulva"!)

Actually, the name turned out to be Dolores, not Regina. He guess Mulva and even Gipple but, in the end, he realized it was Dolores. She showed up in a later episode and he happily introduced her to George.

Sorry, I'm a Seinfeld geek.

nihpuad · 25-05-06 07:50:38

Jakeview wrote:

Actually, the name turned out to be Dolores, not Regina.

Yah, I was vaguely afraid I'd mixed those two up (hence the "IIRC"). I definitely remembered "Mulva," though!

Jakeview wrote:

Sorry, I'm a Seinfeld geek.

And a better one than I am, Gunga Din!

#1 18-05-06 03:50:28

Question about pronunciation

#2 18-05-06 03:58:35

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#3 18-05-06 04:23:22

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