(no subject)
For the last few weeks I have been teasing my sister about her inability to say kirsebær. She pronounces it kirkjebær, and when she concentrates it comes out as sjisjebær. She has now managed to correct this, and as long as she concentrates she can produce the correct progression from kj- to sj-. I have always fancied my own elocution to be fine. My pronunciation, I imagined, was without flaw. I even say pro-NUN-ciation, and not pro-NOUN-ciation, as the British are increasingly and to my mind erroneously wont to do. When I was younger I was afflicted with quite a serious lisp, but I have more or less overcome this (which is a minor peculiarity in Norwegian, and an actual speech impediment in English). On my own, I might add. My grandmother, who was a professional speech therapist, never bothered to help me. But alas. In reading about Stephen Fry's inability to pronounce pretty much anything correctly as a child, I came across this phrase:
The seething sea ceaseth, and thus it sufficeth us.
After some practice, I was able to reproduce ceaseth. Sufficeth, however, I cannot do for love nor booze. I can hear how it should go, and can hear myself going agley, but I can't stop it. I just fucking cannot make f-, s- th- in such rapid progression.
I hate my tongue.
But now I wish to listen to this remarkable bird, whose song must come from the trees behind me, but by some auditory trick sounds like it's directly in front of me in the living room.
The seething sea ceaseth, and thus it sufficeth us.
After some practice, I was able to reproduce ceaseth. Sufficeth, however, I cannot do for love nor booze. I can hear how it should go, and can hear myself going agley, but I can't stop it. I just fucking cannot make f-, s- th- in such rapid progression.
I hate my tongue.
But now I wish to listen to this remarkable bird, whose song must come from the trees behind me, but by some auditory trick sounds like it's directly in front of me in the living room.