Pronouncing "species"

[Wilson Gray]

One 'specie[s]," two "specie[z]"?

-Wilson

On 5/10/07, Charles Doyle <cdoyle at uga.edu> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
> Subject:      Pronouncing "species"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I would have supposed that only drunk scientists say "speeshees"! A sobering realization . . . .
>
> --Charlie
> ____________________________________________________________
>
> ---- Original message ----
> >Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 12:09:55 -0400
> >From: sagehen <sagehen at WESTELCOM.COM>
> >Subject: Re: hard words on TV! Part deux
>
> >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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--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
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                                              -Sam'l Clemens
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The tongue has no bones, yet it breaks bones.

                                           Rumanian proverb

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