Query Details
| Query Subject: |
Pronunciation of the word "cent" in different languages
|
|
| Author: | Pfandl Heinrich | |
| Submitter Email: | click here to access email | |
| Linguistic LingField(s): |
General Linguistics
Phonetics |
|
| Language Family: |
Germanic
Hellenic Latin Subgroup New English |
|
| Query: |
Dear colleagues,
I am interested in the following phenomenon: With the introduction of the new currency, the euro and its smaller coin, the ''cent'' (the 100th part of a euro/as there are 100 cents to one euro), the EC is trying to create a new identity for its members. The name of the smaller coin, ''cent'', looks to me more like a simple imitation of the American model, which is reinforced by the pronunciation used in most of the mass-media of German-speaking countries [sent]. In German the expected pronunciation given this spelling would or should have been [tsent], which would also have led to an awareness of the difference between European and American money, and thus of a separate European identity. In France people seem to have made the word into ''centimes'', as in their present (French) currency, in part also to avoid a confusion with the word for ''hundred''. As there are no official directives concerning the pronunciation of this word, this is a perfect chance for the linguist to observe, how within a very short time a norm will be established based exclusively on usage. Could you, please, let me know how the word is pronounced in your country and how your language deals with this matter? Thank you. In your replies offline, please use the address: pfandl@kfunigraz.ac.at |
|
| LL Issue: | 13.36 | |
| Date posted: | 09-Jan-2002 | |
|
Back |
||
|
|
||
|
Sums main page
|
||
|
About LINGUIST
|
Contact Us
|
Report Broken Link
While the LINGUIST List makes every effort to ensure the linguistic relevance of sites listed on its pages, it cannot vouch for their contents. |
|
