a capella

[James Harbeck]

>Jim,
>
>I'm sending this to you because ADS-L usually doesn't distribute my
>postings, for reasons I haven't been able to figure out.
>
>Another curiosity about the word "a capella" is the way members of
>my church choir pronounce it:  a capello.  Why the final -o I have
>no idea.  However, most of them have not learned the word formally;
>they have not musical training beyond what they get in this choir,
>and they probably haven't heard the word outside of choir
>rehearsals, where I pronounce it with final - at .
>
>Herb

Interesting! I wonder what analogy is influencing the conjecture. I
know some people in choirs I've been in have jokingly called it "a
capulco," but everyone I know who's made the joke has pronounced the
actual term correctly.

Maybe they figure if they're male it must be -o rather than -a?

I'm sending this to the list as well, on the assumption that you'd
like it to go there if it can.

James Harbeck.

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