Big Dog - 27 February 2023
A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
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Why Does Ireland Have an SNET?
Ali: Why does Ireland have an SNET and why is it pronounced with a long eye? In Old English, the word was very similar to I S L E. But that first part later by the time Old English turned in middle English was changed to be spelled as I L A N D or YL A N D. Some scholars misunderstood and thought that instead of being connected to other Germanic languages,. which had very similar words for 'watery land' And so they started spelling it as I L land - but then got rid of the S because it was no longer pronounced in French. So we don't pronounce the S in island because the French don’t pronounce the S
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