Random notes on language

[dyvinesweetness]

I cannot, at all, hear the difference between axe and ask and I'm always really really confused when people talk about that mix-up. I'm also really fuckin annoyed and offended

Comments

"How now brown cow?"

[richirch2]

If you all don't watch the Nanny, you are SLEEPIN!

Anyway, I say "ahsked" or "assked". No real preference towards either pronunciation, nor do I pitch a bitch when anyone says "axed".

I always say "nay-ked" or "neh-ked", emphasizing the 'k' sound.

I get annoyed by the colored grammar police because they often overlook the racist connotations associated with grammar critiquing.

Re: "How now brown cow?"

[dyvinesweetness]

"they often overlook the racist connotations associated with grammar critiquing."

Exactly!

*waves*

[i_dreamed_i_was]

For whatever reason, I have a strong ear for pronunciation-- SE, AAVE, Spanish, whatever. And so it's EXTREMELY important to me to pronounce things "correctly" (esp. names). But that's all according to what language or dialect we're speaking, YK? "Axe" is only "incorrect" if you are talking about the standards of S(American)E. Side note: apparently this is a commonality among many West African languages... There just isn't an s-k sound, so most people with strong WA/AAVE accents say things like "axe" or "assed" or "dess" (for desk), etc. Don't see what the big deal is. Not like Brits can half say the letter "R."

My obsession with pronunciation can bite me in the butt at times, though. I make so much effort to correctly/"natively" pronounce what little I do know in foreign languages that people think I can speak/understand more than I do. I get a lot of insistence from Latinos that if I am not Latina, okay, I'll buy that, but de donde es tu padre, then? I terribly embarrassed at my non-fluency, esp. b/c I used to be able

Re: *waves*

[toodani]

wow you tooootally reminded me of a snit my corworker got into one day b/c i was talking to another coworker and saying his name "sergio" the american way "sir-gee-oh". She pitched a little hissy and starts going off about how she wishes americans wouldn't change their names etc etc, all very valid anger given the situation. But i looked her straight in the face and said "oh really? it bothers you? B/c I don't remember there being an "a" on the end of Danielle but you still do it" She gave me the blank face for about 3 seconds and then we all busted up laughing. I mean come on i changed my name in middle school just to avoid the name butchering, but as long as people try every now and again to show they take it seriously, you can't let it get to you.

Re: *waves*

[dyvinesweetness]

I think I'm pretty in tune to the phonetics/pronunciation of other languages (namely spanish), but that particular pair in English just don't ring for me.

"de donde es tu padre, then?"

Ha! There's a saying in Spanish (I'm sure I'm gonna mess it up) that goes something like "Y donde esta tu abuela?" For folks trynna pass denying their African ancestry.

[toodani]

I still doublething pronouncing "wensday" as "wed-nes-day"

[dyvinesweetness]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say liberry. I hear people speaking about it all the time, but I don't feel like I've heard anyone say it in actual conversation.

[infamousone]

really? huh?

I seriously have a hard time saying Library....I can only do it if I sit down and think about it.

I have equal trouble saying brewery. It's brewry....

[donthurrycurry]

Up until high school I used to correct my friends, enemies, neighbors, and strangers' pronunciation of both English and Spanish words.

But I was an arrogant bastard with mad issues.

When my mom says "Baysed" instead of "bathed" which she does randonly, it still bugs me like whoa even though I know she grew up in the country. :/

I can hear every single mispronunciation, through walls, across halls. Its weird because I have "newscaster accent" and my mom is very Southern and uses light AAVE but she taught me English... in Spain. (??)