'kimono' pronun & use (was: "opening the kimono" (1979?, 1984))

[Victoria Neufeldt]

On Monday, June 20, 2005 5:06 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>
> Making allowances for regional phonology, that's the usual
> pronunciation, isn't it?
>
> I've rarely heard anything other than / kI 'mo n@ /.
>
> JL
>

Well, M-W's 11th Collegiate and New Oxford American have a "long-o"
final syllable for the first pronun listed, with the schwa pron as the
single alternate; American Heritage 4th and Webster's New World 4th
list the schwa pron first, with the long o as an alternate pron of
almost equal currency (i.e., in case anyone isn't clear on this, the
two prons are separated by a comma, which is usual lexicographic style
for "equal currency or slightly less common"; if the variant is
significantly less common, it's normally preceded by "also" or
"sometimes" or a regional label, etc.).  I can't access my Kenyon &
Knott right now.  Also, in my pron and presumably Beverly's, the final
syllable wasn't reduced completely to a schwa.

Come to think of it, I can't remember when I last heard anyone say the
word at all!  I don't use the word anymore for a housecoat, and rarely
use 'housecoat'.  Now it's just 'bathrobe'.  And I've never owned a
dressing gown.

Victoria

Victoria Neufeldt
727 9th Street East
Saskatoon, Sask.
S7H 0M6
Canada
Tel: 306-955-8910
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