English is not our native tongue but I am one of many in India who have had the privilege of studying the language from a young age. Yet, the intricacies of English pronunciation continue to interest me.
As a matter of fact one of the first words that gave me trouble was “tongue” itself. At the Prep School at Lovedale’s The Lawrence School, I struggled to figure out how “tongue” should be pronounced “tung”. Years later I became a World War II buff. I remember talking about the battles in North Africa with my class mate Manjit ” Bunny” Gill- horrifying him by speaking of Field Marshal “Mont-go-mery” which he was quick to point out was actually “”Mont-gomery”. He ought to know as his father was a Lieutenant General himself.
Reading Wodehouse brought me in touch with more mysteries of English pronunciation. I am not talking of the simple “Psmith” being “Smith”. I am talking of Pall Mall being “Pell Mell”, Worcestershire being “Woostershire”, Stanley Featherstone Ukridge being “Fanshawe Ewkridge” and Mapledurham being just “Mum”.
If you have had a similar experience, what were the words that bothered you?
