fortyeridania comments on What truths are actually taboo? - Less Wrong

5 Post author: sunflowers 16 April 2013 11:40PM

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Comment author: fortyeridania 28 April 2013 07:45:18AM *  1 point [-]

Here's some evidence.

I think the recordings at those pages are misleading, because they're all from a US speaker. The phonetic markings are what to look at.

Comment author: MugaSofer 29 April 2013 08:40:37AM *  -1 points [-]

Um ... evidence?

er

pronounced: /ɜː/

etymology: copying the sound people make when hesitating.

uh

pronounced: /ʌː/

No listed etymology, but attached to a list of such sounds from various languages.

erm

pronunciation: no phonetic markings listed; recording only.

no etymology listed, but attached to an entirely different list of such sounds in other languages.

um

pronounciation: /ʊm/

etymology:

From Middle English, from Old Norse um, umb (“around, about”), from Proto-Germanic *umbi (“around”), from Proto-Indo-European *ambʰi- (“by, around”). Cognate with Old English ymbe (“around”). More at umbe.

Also, I've ignored the recordings - I actually can't listen to them on this computer - but why would there be a mispronounced pronunciation guide? I mean, wouldn't people who aren't US speakers correct it, if they knew better? I'm not a US speaker, and I would.

ETA: apparently "hum" may come from the old English version of this - from which we also get um and hmm. Or something.

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