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

Fri Oct 19 18:38:02 UTC 2007

I think pronouncing those silent letters is a worthy pursuit.  So many pronunciations are capricious.
One that follows the alphabetic principle is following what letters were always supposed to do,
stand for sounds.  I'd be interested to see folks reactions when you speak them.

I hear the "t" coming out in "often", though my grade school nuns said "no, no, no".  Why can't
those other silent letters come out as well.  If "chord" were pronounced with a "ch" there
would be no confusion between "cord" and ~chord.

I wunder what the true Japanese pronunciation of tsunami is?  Stress on nam?

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

> Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:52:52 -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)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>>I agree with those who pronounces the "t" and hope we can retain it in pro=
> nunciation so the word obeys the alphabetic principle.
> =20
> Just for you I will pronounce the "t" in "tsunami," the "p" in "psalm," the=
> "k" in "knot," the "g" in "gnat," and so on.
> =20
> Scot
> =20
>> Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:38:03 +0000> From: truespel at HOTMAIL.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: Tom Zurinskas > Subject: Re: "Si=
> lver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)> -----------------=
> -------------------------------------------------------------->> Looks lik=
> e "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 pri=
> nciple. From m-w.com, tsunami means "harbor wave", which to me does not hav=
> e the impact of a "tidal wave". Tidal wave has an earlier date associated -=
> 1851, see m-w.com>> Main Entry: tsu=C2=B7na=C2=B7mi> Pronunciation: \(t)s=
> u=CC=87-=CB=88n=C3=A4-m=C4=93\> Function: noun> Inflected Form(s): plural t=
> sunamis also tsunami> Etymology: Japanese, from tsu harbor + nami wave> Dat=
> e: 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 pronu=
> nciation.>> 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 Secur=
> ity)>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>>>> ---------------------- Information=
> from the mail header ----------------------->> Sender: American Dialect S=
> ociety>> Poster: Scot LaFaive>> Subject: Re: "Silver Tsunami" (first "boo=
> mer" files for Social Security)>> ----------------------------------------=
> --------------------------------------->>>> Something like that.>> =3D20=
>>> Scot>> PS: I prefer "tsunami." More flavorful.>>> Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2=
> 007 19:15:54 -0700> From: gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM> Subjec=3D>> t: Re: "Silver=
> Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)> To: ADS=3D>> -L at LIST=
> SERV.UGA.EDU>> ---------------------- Information from the mail hea=3D>> d=
> er -----------------------> Sender: American Dialect Society RV.UGA.EDU>> P=
> oster: Benjamin Barrett> Subject: Re: =3D>> "Silver Tsunami" (first "boom=
> er" files for Social Security)> --------------=3D>> ----------------------=
> ------------------------------------------->> Looks =3D>> like circular tr=
> oll country once again. BB>> Tom Zurinskas wrote:>> Point=3D>> was - why t=
> he term "tidal wave" appears to be dropped for "tsunami". Someo=3D>> ne sa=
> id "tsunami" more accurately reflects the cause, which is an earthquak=3D> =
>> e. My point was that we had a term we understood, like parkway, even thou=
> gh=3D>> it wasn't perfectly exact, like the way "parkway" doesn't resemble=
> driving=3D>> through a park.>>>> So I guess the question why "tidal wave"=
> is dropped =3D>> and who is responsible for dropping it goes unanswered, =
> unless "tsunami" ac=3D>> tually does relfect causation by an earthquake.>>=
> ------------------------=3D>> ------------------------------------> The A=
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