Lieutenant Pronunciation

[help needed]

Can someone pls help me and explain why "lieutenant" is pronounced "leftenant"?

 

[Bloggins]

Snipped from the online version of the OED (http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/oed/oed.html):

"Lieutenant: Fr. lieutenant, f. lieu place + tenant holding (see tenant); cf. locum tenens. The origin of the <beta>type of forms (which survives in the usual British pronunciation, though the spelling represents the <alpha>type) is difficult to explain; The hypothesis of a mere misinterpretation of the graphic form (u read as v), at first sight plausible, does not accord with the facts. In view of the rare OFr. form luef for lieu (with which cf. esp. the 15th c. Sc. forms luf-, lufftenand above) it seems likely that the labial glide at the end of OFr. lieu as the first element of a compound was sometimes apprehended by Englishmen as a v or f. Possibly some of the forms may be due to association with leave sb.1 or lief a."

There‘s a lot more in the listing itself if you want greater depth.

 

[ender]

Here‘s the story I heard, don‘t know wheither it‘s true or not. There was some English prince with a speech impediment who kept pronoucing it leftenent, and so everybody followed him to be polite. This could be American propaganda though.

 

[RCA]

Naw, its just beacuse there is no such thing as a "right"enent.

By the way whats the difference beween a recruit and a second leftenent: A recruit is dumb and knows it

 

[Mud Crawler]

probably because of teh difference between general accent and pronounciation in english and french.Let me remind you that 2 thirds of the english dictionnaries originate from french, from when England was invaded by France.

 

[gunner56]

A number of years ago(while serving with 604 Sqn RCAIRCC),I was told that even the brits said "Lootenant".After a time of being LEFT BEHIND or LEFT OUT of BATTLE because of poor, or insufficient training; a group of j.o.'s decided to start calling themselves LEFTenants.
Aside from tradition,why do we continue this insulting practice?
I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on this,as I've been wondering about the topic for many years,and only found out about this site in late DEC 04.
Thanks,and Happy New Year Y'all.

 

[chrisf]

Somone was pulling your leg.

 

[gunner56]

Alrighty,then.So...how doyou derive the current pronunciation,when the word contains no F,or PH?

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Alrighty,then.So...how doyou derive the current pronunciation,when the word contains no F,or PH?

It comes from the French.

Incidentally, LOB (Left Out of Battle) is, in fact, a Canadian military expression.  I believe it was first used in the First World War, and was a standard practice in WW II.  Infantry units would designate x number of personnel as LOB before each battle, so that a cadre would be left in case of a disaster.  If a platoon commander took his platoon in, sometimes his second in command would be LOB, or vice versa.  Even individual riflemen were sometimes LOB.  It did not have anything to do with poor training, in fact, it was more indicative of good planning...

 

[chrisf]

Alrighty,then.So...how doyou derive the current pronunciation,when the word contains no F,or PH?

Why is it people always question Lieutenant, but never Colonel?

 

[pbi]

Aside from tradition,why do we continue this insulting practice?

Well, it isn;t "insulting", really: it's the way we speak English in Canada. Do not try to figure out how/why sounds are made in English: it is quite impossible and pointless, but the language works. I have never heard that legend you brought up but I must say it sounds like rubbish. Cheers.

 

[George Wallace]

I suppose all those extra "u"s that we throw into our words, like labour, honour, colour, neighbour, etc. are insulting too.


GW

 

[Michael OLeary]

Aside from tradition,why do we continue this insulting practice?

Assuming, of course, that the story has any substance and that you weren't simply fed a myth.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Why is it people always question Lieutenant, but never Colonel?

Not only did I question Harlan Sanders before he passed away, I'll have you know I frisked him as well.

 

[pbi]

OK: I hav thot abow this isu and I belev we hav to bild a nu langwij in lu of the on we hav now. It is tu shamful the wa we spek now. How thotles we ar to cari on insulting ourselvs. Wot du yu guys sa? Cheers.

 

[George Wallace]

Pbi

Taht sunods lkie an exlelnet ieda!  Witch weigh should wee go?  Sepll wrods worng, wtih olny the frist and lsat ltetres crorcet; oar two ewes similar sounding words inn lew of thee write won?

GW

 

[gunner56]

I suppose all those extra "u"s that we throw into our words, like labour, honour, colour, neighbour, etc. are insulting too.


GW

In spite of being born,and raised in Calgary by parents of Irish/English heritage,I prefer not to use the extra U's.BTW,the guy who first got me interested in Army Cadets is currently known as Lieutenant Colonel Peter Hauenstien,LDSH,and CoS,41 Brigade.I believe his rank is pronounced as "Leftenant Kernel".I,personally meant no insult,I was just trying to see if what I had been told was correct,or not. I however ,would be insulted if I was a Lieutenant,and found the rumor to be true.

 

[chrisf]

Not only did I question Harlan Sanders before he passed away, I'll have you know I frisked him as well.

Then you could likely have some valuble insight in my chicken thread, perhaps the missing link needed to sort out the egg as well...

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Then you could likely have some valuble insight in my chicken thread, perhaps the missing link needed to sort out the egg as well...

He was not very forthcoming about the 16 herbs and spices, however, he did reveal that his "chickens" are actually sparrows.  No word on which came first, the chicken or the sparrow.

 

[George Wallace]

Oh I think we can now state that the Chicken came before the Sparrow and went the way of the DODO, which brings us full circle back to Officer Rank....... ;D

GW