[HPFGU-OTChatter] Pronunciation Police! (was Re: Spelling Police)

[Amanda Lewanski]

find_sam at hotmail.com wrote:

> > Enervate- four syllables; Latin vowel sounds
> > Obliviate- four syllables. Latin values to the vowels
>
> I never really thought about this, but it makes sense that these words
> with Latin roots (I think, knowing nothing about Latin) would be
> pronounced this way.

Except for me, "enervate" is /EN-ur-vayt/. It, at least, is an English
word in current (if not extensive) usage, and my mind is stuck with that
pronunciation.

> I also pronounce Voldemort with a silent 'T'; whenever I say this in
> front of my friends they look at me as if I am stupid.

My husband thinks the T is silent as well. Must be a man thing.  <g>

Which brings me to a related question. The down side of finally getting
one's spouse to read the books is that you move into the realm of
Interpersonal Relationship Pronunciation Differences. In point at the
moment: Slytherin. I pronounce it with a short /i/, as in "slither." He
pronounces it with a long /I/, as in "sly." Can I have other people's
pronunciations of this?

He also says Draco as if it rhymed with "wacko," what can you do?

--Amanda (he just finished PoA!)


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