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Pronunciation of "the"
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PatS



Joined: 17 Oct 2003
Posts: 25
Location: Northern California

PostPosted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 11:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't you Brits say "an hospital?" And pronounce the h?

(Not to be confused with "in hospital" which takes a little getting used to when your own countymen say "in thuh hospital...)

(With apologies to kymerhit.)
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khmerhit



Joined: 31 May 2003
Posts: 1874
Location: Reverse Culture Shock Unit

PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 12:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thuh apology accepted, Pat. But thuh thread must DIE. It's thuh last straw. Thuh final act.
Thuh End of the Affair.
Thuh Last Gasp.
Thuh Last Chance Saloon.
Thuh Nevercontinuing Story.
Thuh Aspidistra No Longer Flying.
Thuh Final Bend in the River.
Thuh 400 Blows.
Thuh Tank out of Gas.
Thuh Empty Cartridge.
Thuh Dying Embers.
Thuh Expired Parrot.
Thuh Dead Dog.
Thuh Swallowed Goldfish.
Thuh Apocalypse NOW.
Thuh Armistice, Miss.
Thuh Argument Over.
Thuh End.

?
kh Very Happy
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FGT



Joined: 14 Sep 2003
Posts: 762
Location: Turkey

PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 1:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why THE negativity?
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Atlas



Joined: 09 Jun 2003
Posts: 662
Location: By-the-Sea PRC

PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 1:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you have a vowel with a consonant sound, the same rings true:

the one (duh 1)

thee other one


My Brit friend likes to program Haitch-T-M-L on his computer, and apparently some guy named Herb gives him medicine. And then he goes and admonishes me in a stern parental British way that the letter is "Zed", not Zee, but I tell you, Zee is more fun! In case you haven't heard, Zed is dead baby.
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Snoopy



Joined: 13 Jul 2003
Posts: 185

PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Try visiting East Lancashire, where the definite article is still pronounced as a click. There was a pub in Blackburn known, as on its sign, as T'ole in T'wall.
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khmerhit



Joined: 31 May 2003
Posts: 1874
Location: Reverse Culture Shock Unit

PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 5:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's where my grandfather was from, East Lancashire, namely Widnes.
I think it's East, maybe not.

Everyone went down t'pub.

He must be wondering what I'm doing wastin my days on t'internet!
Rolling Eyes
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 9:37 pm    Post subject: Lots of company Reply with quote

Dear khmerhit,
Grandpa ain't the only one - we're ALL wondering about that.
Regards,
John
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Dr.J



Joined: 09 May 2003
Posts: 304
Location: usually Japan

PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2004 12:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When the appears before a vowel, you can often have either the schwa or the long e sound.

However, some words seem to be eaiser to pronounce using one or the other, leading to trends in usage. For example:

"Thee end" sounds better (at least to me) than "The (glottal stop) end".

That just sounds thick.
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