[Lexicog] Phonolexical re-interpretations

[John Roberts]

Do you ever get stressed out with stress? I usually encounter stress 
problems when I visit Singapore.

Some of the classic examples I remember were: once on the MRT the announcer 
said, "Next stop is laVENder." I had to look on the station map to see that 
it was "lavender". Once in a shop the assistant asked me if I wanted to buy 
a sooVINj at . It took several repeats before I figured out what she wanted me 
to buy was a "souvenir". The stress difficulties also worked the other way. 
I once asked for directions to SErangoon and the person didn't know what I 
was talking about. Later I realised I should have asked how to get to 
seRANgoon.

I think with Singlish it is the combination of English lexicon with Malay 
stress patterns that is the main cause of the phonolexical mismatches. And 
also we don't write stress in English.

Do you ever get the emPHAsis in the wrong place?

John Roberts



 
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