Quote:
Originally Posted by Cloud
English is one of the most spoken, most complex, and richest languages in the world, if not the most (Mandarin has more speakers). It will evolve on its own, without people trying to "fix" it.
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That is happening, yes. "Thru" appears in my dictionary as a variant spelling of "through". Change in English spelling may proceed at a glacial pace, but it does occur.
Here are some more words with knotty spellings:
ptarmigan. This word is of Gaelic derivation (Scots Gaelic
tarmachan), not Greek, yet it has apparently taken a silent
p from another word as if it has gone home with the wrong clothes after a party.
lieutenant. Americans are satisfied with the silent
i in this word. The Brits, not satisfied with this, have shown remarkable innovation with their pronunciation of this word by managing to morph a "u" into an "f". Yes, the proper way to say this word in Britain is
leftenant.
colonel. Military ranks appear to be a rich source of interesting spellings. The pronunciation of
colonel is like a traveller that goes from point A to point B via the scenic route.