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From: rte@elmo.lz.att.com (Ralph T. Edwards)
Subject: Re: Single European Language
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References: <DAFBDp.JsG@tigadmin.ml.com> <65@elrond.ukc.ac.uk> <LDD.95Jun22092823@step.polymtl.ca> <71@elrond.ukc.ac.uk> <LDD.95Jun23114658@step.polymtl.ca>
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 1995 14:55:37 GMT
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In article <LDD.95Jun23114658@step.polymtl.ca>, ldd@step.polymtl.ca
(Louis-D. Dubeau) wrote:

Concerning English g in barrage /b@ rAZ/ and gem /dZEm/
> 
> Here's an example.  Let's say that every trace of spoken French was to
> dissapear today.  Now, we know from written records that some English
> words like "garage", "barrage", etc comme from French.  The "g" in
> those words are pronounced "zh" (French "j" or French "g" before an
> "i" or an "e"). Now, a linguist looking at all words derived from
> French with "ge" in them would find that some of them use the standard
> English pronunciation for the "g" and some use the "zh" pronunciation.
> The reason is that the pronunciation of some of those words has been
> anglicized while the others retained their original pronounciation.

Nope.  Gem (and the rest) have not been anglicized.  They were borrowed
from French when the French pronunciation was different.  The time of
borrowing is key, and part of the analysis used to reconstruct
pronunciation.

-- 
R.T.Edwards rte@elmo.att.com 908 576-3031
