CLEMatiS, cleMAHtis, cleMAYtis ...

[Beverly Flanigan]

Isn't there a fourth pronunciation as well?  Around here we say 'clemAEtis'
(AE as in 'cat').

At 04:29 PM 4/6/02 -0500, you wrote:
>I would guess that the second and third pronunciations you list are spelling
>pronunciations brought into being by non-gardeners who had never heard it
>pronounced.   The same thing happened with the word 'gratis'   which was
>historically GRAY tis, but is mostly GRAT is, now, or for those who love
>their Latin--GRAH tis.
>
>Dale Coye
>The College of NJ


_____________________________________________
Beverly Olson Flanigan         Department of Linguistics
Ohio University                     Athens, OH  45701
Ph.: (740) 593-4568              Fax: (740) 593-2967
http://www.cats.ohiou.edu/linguistics/dept/flanigan.htm