sound change – Danny L. Bate

Sure Sugar

Or: Wait, shouldn’t those two English words be spelled with SH? Despite its reputation and the infamous evidence to the contrary, I’m committed to demonstrating how regular English spelling actually is. Yet words like sugar and sure, I admit, mock that vocation. In being pronounced as if they began with SH, the pair require meContinue reading “Sure Sugar”

Five Sound Changes That Make Italian Make More Sense

Reading time: 10-15 minutes As I write, it’s the 15th of September, and I have just, with a heavy heart, departed Italy. What a time, and what a place! Among its many delights, it was a particular pleasure to be reminded of how much I love the Italian language. I love to hear it, toContinue reading “Five Sound Changes That Make Italian Make More Sense”

Of Mouses and Mans? — The Origins of English’s Vowel-Swapping Nouns and Verbs

Introduction: Nouns, Verbs and Variable Vowels In present-day English, the plural of mouse is usually mice, and one man plus another equals two men. While most English nouns are made plural simply by adding -s, making one cat into multiple cats, there is a sizeable minority that become plural through the process that we seeContinue reading “Of Mouses and Mans? — The Origins of English’s Vowel-Swapping Nouns and Verbs”

Cheat Your Way to Czech: Czech Sounds and I

Reading time: 10 – 15 minutes Introduction to the Series Now the Czech language may have a reputation for difficulty, but it isn’t entirely fair. Like in any language, things in Czech exist for a good reason, even though that reason may not be very obvious. There is actually very little in the language thatContinue reading “Cheat Your Way to Czech: Czech Sounds and I”

The Un-mouthing of Sounds

This post is a brief introduction to the process of debuccalization, a sound change with the power to dispel confusion in various languages of Europe and beyond. With the help of some concrete examples taken from three languages, this is a concept that I believe might come in rather handy for language learners. As isContinue reading “The Un-mouthing of Sounds”

Rhotacism, and How It Can Help Your Latin

A tricky piece of grammar If you have studied a little Latin, you may have come across an important, yet rather annoying group of nouns. They belong to the third declension, are neuter in gender, and end in -us in the nominative singular. They include words like tempus ‘time’, corpus ‘body’ and pectus ‘chest’. AtContinue reading “Rhotacism, and How It Can Help Your Latin”