I suppose the main thing I've taken away from reading grammar books during the summer doldrums at work is that I am mispronouncing everything. My learned facade reveals a bumpkin at heart as soon as I open my mouth.
For example, I pronounce the "l" in "almond," which is wrong. I say CAR-i-be-inn instead of Carib-BE-in. I've said "nuk-u-lar" enough times to be the president already. I call window treatments "drapes" sometimes instead of "curtains," which, according to the articles cited in Garner's Modern American Usage, is indicative of someone using overly formal words to sound upper class when she's not. Huh.
I am fascinated by language. It's a living, breathing thing that's always changing, and it's interesting to learn how people approach it as a science and an art. Like, at what point do you legitimize how people actually speak and use words, and at what point do you correct them and insist they stick to the rules? (Case in point: starting that sentence with "like": is it just me trying to write like I talk--like a Valley Girl, apparently--or should I always strive for proper usage?)
Yeah, it's 10:30 on a Friday night and I'm thinking about language. Jealous? I thought so.
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1 comment:
i think even knowing how to correctly pronounce almond now thanks to your post, i still couldn't do it. it's just a much more gratifying sound and mouth-feel with the L.
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