hard words on TV! Part deux

[Scot LaFaive]

I'm by no means a scientists, so take this how you will, but I believe I say
both [spi.sis] and [spi.shis].

Scot LaFaive


>From: sagehen <sagehen at WESTELCOM.COM>
>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: Re: hard words on TV! Part deux
>Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 12:09:55 -0400
>
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
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>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       sagehen <sagehen at WESTELCOM.COM>
>Subject:      Re: hard words on TV! Part deux
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>
> >This is one of those words that I'm not really sure how I "usually"
>pronounce.
> >It's probably [spi:Si:z] half the time and [spi:si:z] the other half. It
>might
> >be the other way around.
> >
> >M-W lists both. The OED lists two pronunciations but not these two. It
>only
> >lists the 'sh' middle consonant. Its alternation is the final
>vowel/diphthong.
> >Either [spi:Si:z] or [spi:SIi:z]. Is the latter a two syllable
>pronunciation?
> >Any other words that would have the [-Ii-] diphthong?
> >
> >Michael Covarrubias
> >
> >
> >Quoting Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>:
> >>
> >> GRETCHEN CARLSON: They're the only ones of their species - is it
> >> "speeshees"?...
> >>
> >> BRIAN KILMEADE: "Speeshees."
> >>
>  ~~~~~~~~~~
>Am I missing something here?  I say "Speeshees, "  as do most of the
>scientists I know.
>The mistake to which this word is most susceptible seems to be assuming it
>to be the plural of the singular "specie."
>AM, the still older coot (/Fulica americana/).
>
>~@:>   ~@:>   ~@:>   ~@:>
>
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