Auntie anxiety - The Grammarphobia Blog

A: A blog reader wrote in earlier this year with this explanation: an AHNT is a very rich ANT. But, seriously, the word “aunt” has two correct ... Skiptothecontent CloseMenu Home TheBlog TheBooksShowsubmenu WoeIsI SwanSongShowsubmenu ReadChapter1ofSwanSong OriginsoftheSpecious WordsFailMe WoeIsIJr. YouSendMe TheAuthors Q&A Myths Broadcasts Links WriteUs Home TheBlog TheBooksShowsubmenu WoeIsI SwanSongShowsubmenu ReadChapter1ofSwanSong OriginsoftheSpecious WordsFailMe WoeIsIJr. YouSendMe TheAuthors Q&A Myths Broadcasts Links WriteUs Q:Iwouldliketoknowwhysomepeoplepronounce“aunt”likeAHNTandotherslikeANT.IgrewupintheMidwestwhereeveryonesaidANT,butInowliveinNYCwhereeveryonesaysAHNT.Pleaseexplainwhichiscorrect. A:Ablogreaderwroteinearlierthisyearwiththisexplanation:anAHNTisaveryrichANT.But,seriously,theword“aunt”hastwocorrectpronunciations:ANT(liketheinsect)andAHNT. Bothpronunciationsaregiven,inthatorder,inTheAmericanHeritageDictionaryoftheEnglishLanguage(4thed.)andMerriam-Webster’sCollegiateDictionary(11thed.). Thefirst(ANT)isbyfarthepredominantAmericanpronunciation.Thesecond(AHNT)iscommonintheNortheast,someSoutherndialects,andamongAfricanAmericans. Britishspeakerstodayalsopreferthesecondpronunciation(AHNT),accordingtotheOxfordEnglishDictionary. Butmanyphonologistsandotherscholarshaveshownthatthepronunciationof“aunt”varieswidelyinBritain,andthat“ant”and“aunt”arepronouncedthesamebymanyspeakersinthenortherncounties. Infact,ANTwasoncethepreferredpronunciationinBritain,sothedominantAmericanpronunciationisactuallyolder,arelicofBritishusageinthelate18thcentury. ThelinguistandlexicographerM.H.Scargillhaswritten:“Acceptablelate-18th-centuryBritishpronunciationrhymed‘clerk’with‘lurk,’‘caught’with‘cot’and‘aunt’with‘ant,’andthosepronunciationsaretheonesimmigrantsbroughtwiththem.” The“a”inwordslike“after,”“aunt,”“last,”“past,”“class,”“dance,”“path,”and“chance”ispronouncedtheoldway(likethe“a”in“bat”)bymostAmericans,whilemostBritishspeakersnowpronounceitas“ah.” Initsentryfor“aunt,”theRandomHouseWebster’sUnabridgedDictionarynotesthattheANTpronunciation“wasbroughttoAmericabeforeBritishEnglishdevelopedtheahinsuchwordsasaunt,dance,andlaugh.“ “InAmericanEnglish,”RandomHouseadds,“ahismostcommonintheareasthatmaintainedtheclosestculturaltieswithEnglandaftertheahpronunciationdevelopedthereinthesewords.” Ifyou’dliketoreadmore,Iwroteablogitemearlierthisyearaboutthepronunciationof“vase.”Yes,onceagainthetypicalAmericanpronunciationhashistoryonitsside. IgointomuchmoredetailaboutBritishandAmericanpronunciationin“StiffUpperLips,”achapterinOriginsoftheSpecious:MythsandMisconceptionsoftheEnglishLanguage,writtenwithmyhusband,Stewart. Buyourbooksatalocalstore,Amazon.com,orBarnes&Noble.com. Sharethis:ClicktoshareonFacebook(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonTwitter(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonTumblr(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonReddit(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonLinkedIn(Opensinnewwindow)Clicktoemailalinktoafriend(Opensinnewwindow)Clicktoprint(Opensinnewwindow) Tags Englishlanguage,Etymology,Grammar,Linguistics,Usage ← Forwardthinking → BBQ,part2 HelpsupportGrammarphobia.com Searchtheblog Theblogisupdatedregularly!Readourlatestposts… Whyisacowardcalleda‘chicken’? Not‘al-’there OnPassoverandEaster Subscribetotheblogbyemail Enteryouremailaddresstosubscribetotheblogbyemail.Ifyouareanoldsubscriberandnotgettingposts,pleasesubscribeagain. 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