[Ads-l] RES: cache - cachet confusible

Arnold M. Zwicky zwicky at STANFORD.EDU
Fri May 26 11:46:42 UTC 2017


> On May 26, 2017, at 4:08 AM, David Daniel <dad at COARSECOURSES.COM> wrote:
> 
> Seems like hypercorrection to me. Like folks saying Coup de Grah instead of
> Coup de Grahss. 
> DAD
> 
> Para: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Assunto: Re: cache - cachet confusible
> 
> Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: cache - cachet confusible
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
> 
> On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 8:53 AM, Baron, Dennis E <debaron at illinois.edu>
> wrote:
> 
>> Usu. cache for cachet
> 
> 
> In my experience, hearing random speakers on TV, ranging from  newsreaders
> through actors to "guests," cachet for cache seems to be more common.
> Maybe. I interpret what I hear as _cach=C3=A9_ and not as "cachet." Of cour=
> se, I may be mistaken, since I can't read the speaker's mind.

we ought to consder the role of spelling here.  compare cliche, which is properly spelled in french, and as a borrowed word in english, with a final e-acute (indicating that the e is pronounced, not mute), but is often spelled without the diacritic, because diacritics aren't available (at all, or easily), as here.

so you learn the CLICHE has two syllables, accented on the second.

then you hear ka-SHAY, and you know there's a word spelled CACHE, so you guess that this is the spelling of that word..

no problem with CLICHE, because you haven't heard a one-syllable pronounciation.  no problem with NICHE, because you haven't heard a two-syllable pronunciation.  but for CACHE...,

arnold

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