On 2013-11-09 12:25:39 +0000, Nick Maclaren said:

In article ,
Sacha wrote:

Hemero carllis. ;-) The opportunities for debate are endless e.g. Nye
fophia or Niphoffia (Kniphofia) I knew someone who pronounced Dahlia
as 'Darlia' but don't know anyone who pronounces Fuchsia as Fooksia.

The Dutch do.

That would make sense to Dutch and German speakers. I should probably
have said 'anyone British'!

We aren't all total monoglots, you know! I have to remind myself
that it's Fyooshier - that's very foxing :-)

Even a British polygot is more likely to call it 'fewsher' because
everyone else does, including the places that sell them. The name
'Fuchs' isn't common in UK, after all. Try calling it a 'fooksia' and
just watch out for the looks you'll get! It probably sounds a bit rude!

That assumes that you learn the word from hearing it rather than
reading it, and most words are learnt from reading rather than
hearing. Note that I said "most words" and not "most people's
vocabulary". A lot of plant names are pronounced in strange
ways, and some have changed pronounciation over my lifetime.

I knew the German word "fuchs" before I knew the plant name, and
know that it would have been named after someone called Fuchs.
So what should I have guessed its pronounciation should be? :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

How many British people learn German when starting to read, I wonder.
Not many is of course, the answer. So yes, naturally most of us learn
foreign words by hearing them as Britons use them. Later, particularly
in the case of plant names, we'll learn correct or alternative
pronunciations and it's up to us which we use. Very few people are
bothered one way or the other. I remember reading the book Trouble With
Lichen some years ago and arguing amicably with a friend over how to
pronounce 'lichen'. As someone said, it depends on where and when you
learned your Latin, or in your case, your German.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk