Topic: If a letter in a word is silent...

Anonymous A started this discussion 8 years ago #70,791

Why isn't the word just spelled without the letter?

Anonymous A (OP) double-posted this 8 years ago, 1 minute later[^] [v] #853,275

Subpoena for example... Just spell it itsapenæ.

Anonymous B joined in and replied with this 8 years ago, 12 minutes later, 13 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #853,279

To make life harder for poor spellers.

..... !2Nu9nWUn.U joined in and replied with this 8 years ago, 22 minutes later, 36 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #853,286

Written language changes more slowly than spoken language. Those letters eventually will drop out.

Big Daddy Derek !Uvm54ORbmo joined in and replied with this 8 years ago, 1 minute later, 37 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #853,288

inb4 (((illegible gibberish)))

Jiggle deez nutz !cs3yt/Mi8w joined in and replied with this 8 years ago, 24 seconds later, 38 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #853,289

@853,286 (..... !2Nu9nWUn.U)
Did your online university teach you this?

..... !2Nu9nWUn.U replied with this 8 years ago, 36 seconds later, 38 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #853,290

@previous (Jiggle deez nutz !cs3yt/Mi8w)
No, but my brick and mortar one did.

Jiggle deez nutz !cs3yt/Mi8w replied with this 8 years ago, 47 seconds later, 39 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #853,291

@previous (..... !2Nu9nWUn.U)
Oh, your elementary school taught you. Thanks.

Anonymous F joined in and replied with this 8 years ago, 3 hours later, 3 hours after the original post[^] [v] #853,352

because whomever invented english is a retard

chili dog !!81dzJNNYL joined in and replied with this 8 years ago, 6 minutes later, 3 hours after the original post[^] [v] #853,354

often they're loanwords or derived from other languages where the letters are not silent.

FuckAlms !vX8K53rFBI joined in and replied with this 8 years ago, 7 minutes later, 4 hours after the original post[^] [v] #853,359

How come Brits ignore the h sound in words ending with 'ham' such as Buckingham Palace, but they pronounce the h in herbs, while Americans do the opposite?

..... !2Nu9nWUn.U replied with this 8 years ago, 1 hour later, 6 hours after the original post[^] [v] #853,384

@853,354 (chili dog !!81dzJNNYL)
Often, we used to pronounce the letters in older versions of English.

Anonymous I joined in and replied with this 8 years ago, 7 minutes later, 6 hours after the original post[^] [v] #853,387

@previous (..... !2Nu9nWUn.U)
how intriguing please tell us more

Anonymous I double-posted this 8 years ago, 35 seconds later, 6 hours after the original post[^] [v] #853,388

i changed my mind just shut up instead

..... !2Nu9nWUn.U replied with this 8 years ago, 1 minute later, 6 hours after the original post[^] [v] #853,392

@853,387 (I)
For example, “brought” used to pronounce the “gh” as a guttural.

Sheila LaBoof joined in and replied with this 8 years ago, 1 hour later, 7 hours after the original post[^] [v] #853,408

apparently "boatswain" is "bozin" for fuck sake

..... !2Nu9nWUn.U replied with this 8 years ago, 9 minutes later, 7 hours after the original post[^] [v] #853,412

@previous (Sheila LaBoof)
What about the poopdeck?

chili dog !!81dzJNNYL replied with this 8 years ago, 2 hours later, 9 hours after the original post[^] [v] #853,447

@853,408 (Sheila LaBoof)
bo'sun

chili dog !!81dzJNNYL double-posted this 8 years ago, 37 seconds later, 9 hours after the original post[^] [v] #853,448

goodbye used to be god be with you didnt it
terms get shortened with long term usage

..... !2Nu9nWUn.U replied with this 8 years ago, 42 minutes later, 10 hours after the original post[^] [v] #853,452

@previous (chili dog !!81dzJNNYL)
Yes. There are many ways in which spellings change over time.

chili dog !!81dzJNNYL replied with this 8 years ago, 8 hours later, 18 hours after the original post[^] [v] #853,501

@previous (..... !2Nu9nWUn.U)
yep. rhotacism and vowel degration comes up a lot in latin's development from pie.

Minichan