"folk" with an L

[Tom Zurinskas]

I figured that "folK' with the "l" pronounced would sound like "Polk" as in Pres. James Polk.  Come to find out Wikipedia says that it's "James Knox Polk (pronounced /ˈpoÊ k/ POKE).  I've always pronounced the "l" in Polk.  Who knew.  Actually I like the idea of saying the "l" - complements the alphabetic principle.  Like the "t" in often.

Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL7+
see truespel.com phonetic spelling



> Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:10:12 -0500
> From: jharbeck at SYMPATICO.CA
> Subject: Re: "folk" with an L
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: James Harbeck <jharbeck at SYMPATICO.CA>
> Subject: Re: "folk" with an L
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>>He pronounces the "L" in "folksinger" very distinctly. I've never heard
>>that before; nor, apparently, has OED.
>
> My brother does it all the time. Not sure where he got it, because I
> don't do it and I never noticed my parents doing it either. Probably
> just a pertinacious spelling pronunciation. He grew up in Alberta in
> the late '60s and '70s.
>
> James Harbeck.
>
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