Possible W of some Y: "exactly"

[Benjamin Barrett]

My experience has been that it begins with a /z/ sound.

When working as an interpreter, my Japanese interpretees once asked me
what "zaktorii" meant. I was very puzzled. They told me I always
interpreted it as the Japanese equivalent as "that's right." I sure
laughed when it turned out to be this word.

Benjamin Barrett
a cyberbreath for language life
livinglanguages.wordpress.com

On Mar 9, 2008, at 6:16 PM, Tom Zurinskas wrote:

> I wonder how "exactly" is pronounced.  Some dictionaries say that
> USA pronu=
> nciation of "exactly" "extremely" and "example" start with short i
> rather t=
> han short e.  They would be ixactly, ixtremely, and ixample.  From
> my liste=
> ning, I think not.  I hear the short e more often.Tom Zurinskas, USA
> - CT20=
> , TN3, NJ33, FL5+See truespel.com - and the 4 truespel books plus
> "Occasion=
> al Poems" at authorhouse.com. > Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2008 17:10:21
> -0400> From:=
> Berson at ATT.NET> Subject: Possible W of some Y: "exactly"> To: ADS-
> L at LISTSE=
> RV.UGA.EDU> > ---------------------- Information from the mail
> header -----=
> ------------------> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.ED
> =
> U>> Poster: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>> Subject: Possible W
> of some =
> Y: "exactly">
> -------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------------------> > "Exactly" -- becoming extremely common among
> televisi=
> on and radio> news reporters and interviewees in response to some
> question =
> or> statement. The meaning is simply "yes", but the not-so-hidden>
> message =
> is "how percipient of you to ask--or say--that, and how well> you've
> said i=
> t."> > But perhaps my timing is behind the wave and my knowledge
> behind the=
> curve.*> > Joel> > *"Behind the curve" is not in OED2.> >
> ----------------=

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