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It's pronounced "fort" in French. In English, it's most commonly pronounced "for-tay" per all dictionaries, though "fort", according to most (but not all) dictionaries of American English, is not incorrect. People who believe that "fort" is the only correct pronunciation are wrong, unless they're referring to French usage.
There are many words in English that have more than one accepted spelling or pronunciation, but most spell-checkers online don't seem to know about them.
There are many words in English that have more than one accepted spelling or pronunciation, but most spell-checkers online don't seem to know about them.
English has words that originate from many different languages, but we don't necessarily adopt the pronunciations. There is nothing wrong with that. "Karaoke" is not pronounced "Carry Okee" in Japanese by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn't make it wrong to say it that way in English. We also don't don't use the same plurals they use in other languages when we bring in other words- such as stadiums. That doesn't make it wrong, it just means we've modified it to be an English word, not a Latin word.
If you are here talking about a city in the native language name of the city, people might not even recognize the name. They might not recognize the country name either. You don't go having conversations about Deutschland or Sverige, do you?
There are many words in English that have more than one accepted spelling or pronunciation, but most spell-checkers online don't seem to know about them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RamenAddict
English has words that originate from many different languages, but we don't necessarily adopt the pronunciations. There is nothing wrong with that. "Karaoke" is not pronounced "Carry Okee" in Japanese by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn't make it wrong to say it that way in English. We also don't don't use the same plurals they use in other languages when we bring in other words- such as stadiums. That doesn't make it wrong, it just means we've modified it to be an English word, not a Latin word.
If you are here talking about a city in the native language name of the city, people might not even recognize the name. They might not recognize the country name either. You don't go having conversations about Deutschland or Sverige, do you?
Actually, I was thinking about those two national names, when I wrote that. How long would it take anyone to learn what those names meant, if I said them in a context referring to those countries? But I don't do it all the time, just when I figure that the listener might be hip to the meanings. And how many English speakers who listen to music and watch movies, would not know that the French pronounce the name of their capitol, as we would if it were spelled, "Paree"?
It's pronounced "fort" in French. In English, it's most commonly pronounced "for-tay" per all dictionaries, though "fort", according to most (but not all) dictionaries of American English, is not incorrect. People who believe that "fort" is the only correct pronunciation are wrong, unless they're referring to French usage.
French "forte" (pronounced, roughly, fort) is the feminine version of the adjective meaning strong. "Fort" (pronounced, roughly, forrh) is the masculine. In Italian, it's "forte" (fortay) for both genders. There is no Romance language in which fort or forte is a noun meaning one's strong point; it is unique to English. So I'll stick with "fortay".
The pronunciation differences come from the ancient conflict of the Saxons and Normans in England.
English is essentially a Saxon language that had different rules of pronunciation than old French.
When the Normans, French speakers, conquered England, the pronunciation conflict started as both peoples were forced to learn each other's language. The farther a Saxon peasant was from a city or any of the primitive government, the more Saxon their speech was, with less French influence.
The people who were townsmen, closer to the royal government, the more the French pronunciation took over.
Since the Normans didn't conquer all of the British Isles, places like Scotland and Wales had their own rules of pronunciation that were different from both the Saxons and the Normans, so over time, their own rules entered into the mix as well.
And once folks immigrated to America, everyone was introduced to other rules of pronunciation that came from entirely different areas and sources. Eastern Europe has much different rules than Western Europe, for example.
So we mix it all up without realizing we do it. That's why American English has become the unofficial universal language, even though its impossibly full of contradictions in everything about it.
"Fortay" is an overcorrection, like pronouncing the open space inside your front door as "foyay" instead of "foyer" (which rightly rhymes with lawyer).
"Irregardless" is in the dictionary too, but that doesn't mean I'm using it. I don't use "forte," either, unless I'm with people who know how to pronounce it. Ordinarily people will just look at you oddly. Use a different word.
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