"Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)

[Tom Zurinskas]

Looks like "tsunami" is here to stay.  I agree with those who pronounces the "t" and hope we can retain it in pronunciation so the word obeys the alphabetic principle.  From m-w.com, tsunami means "harbor wave", which to me does not have the impact of a "tidal wave".  Tidal wave has an earlier date associated - 1851, see m-w.com

Main Entry: tsu·na·mi
Pronunciation: \(t)su̇-ˈnä-mē\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural tsunamis also tsunami
Etymology: Japanese, from tsu harbor + nami wave
Date: 1897
: a great sea wave produced especially by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption : tidal wave

(Note that the dot over the u did not copy in the phonetic copy/paste.  Not good.  Truespel never has that problem.  No specail symbols.)  Also note that the speaker did drop the "t" in pronunciation.

Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL5+
See truespel.com - and the 4 truespel books plus "Occasional Poems" at authorhouse.com.




> Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:06:06 -0500
> From: spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM
> Subject: Re: "Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Scot LaFaive
> Subject: Re: "Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Something like that.
> =20
> Scot
> PS: I prefer "tsunami." More flavorful.
>> Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:15:54 -0700> From: gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM> Subjec=
> t: Re: "Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)> To: ADS=
> -L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>> ---------------------- Information from the mail hea=
> der -----------------------> Sender: American Dialect Society  RV.UGA.EDU>> Poster: Benjamin Barrett > Subject: Re: =
> "Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)> --------------=
> ----------------------------------------------------------------->> Looks =
> like circular troll country once again. BB>> Tom Zurinskas wrote:>> Point=
> was - why the term "tidal wave" appears to be dropped for "tsunami". Someo=
> ne said "tsunami" more accurately reflects the cause, which is an earthquak=
> e. My point was that we had a term we understood, like parkway, even though=
> it wasn't perfectly exact, like the way "parkway" doesn't resemble driving=
> through a park.>>>> So I guess the question why "tidal wave" is dropped =
> and who is responsible for dropping it goes unanswered, unless "tsunami" ac=
> tually does relfect causation by an earthquake.>> ------------------------=
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