"Sotomayor" mispronounced on Meet the Press

[Laurence Horn]

At 9:37 AM -0500 6/1/09, Cohen, Gerald Leonard wrote:
>Yesterday on "Meet the Press" moderator David Gregory at least twice
>pronounced the name of Supreme Court nominee Sotomayor as
>Sotomai-eer (i.e., the last syllable was mispronounced).
>
>      After a moment's reflection it occurred to me that Gregory
>might have been influenced by the pronunciation of "Golda Meir"
>(former prime minister of Israel; d. 1978).  After a commercial
>break Gregory had occasion to mention Sotomayor again, and this time
>he pronounced it right.  I assume someone clued him in during the
>break.
>
Hunh.  Last night while watching the news, my son (who hadn't been
watching Meet the Press earlier in the day) commented that the
nominated justice's name is like Golda Meir's.  I guess it's the
rhythm as well as the segmentals.  I haven't heard the assimilation
of the former to the latter on broadcasts myself, but I'll listen for
it.  Maybe she'll pick up the Jewish vote in Congress...

LH

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