Sorbet

[Bill Palmer]

No, I swear!  I have no interest in citing etymologies.  I was just trying
not to fall into the category of speakers who, for example, say "turbow" for
turbot, or "tarzhay" for Target (the Walmart competitor).

However, since the list has enlightened me as to the route "sorbet" took
from Turkish to English,  I will surrender my position.

Bill Palmer

----- Original Message -----
From: "Matthew Gordon" <gordonmj at MISSOURI.EDU>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 12:34 PM
Subject: Re: Sorbet


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
> header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Matthew Gordon <gordonmj at MISSOURI.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Sorbet
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On 3/11/09 9:33 AM, "Bill Palmer" <w_a_palmer at BELLSOUTH.NET> wrote:
>
>> I may be the last  one holding out against Frenchifying this word of
>> Turkish
>> provenance.  Is it now OK to pronounce it "sor-bay"?
>>
>>
>> Bill Palmer
>>
> I'm guessing that the main reason for pronouncing the final /t/ in sorbet
> is
> so that when people correct you, you can come back with your explanation
> of
> how the word is actually of Turkish origin. As we all know, there is no
> surer way of winning friends and influencing people than citing
> etymologies
> at them.
>
> Seriously though, since the word came into English through French, this
> isn't a case of Frenchifying by English speakers, is it? Is the word
> pronounced in French without the final /t/?
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
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