I got tons of great insights and nuance from my UK friends on my "a historical" vs "an historical" pronunciation question, and now I have another: Isaiah, as in the Bible.
I-zay-uh or I-zigh-uh? Or something else?
Again, we're assuming an educated upper-middle-class speaker (in fact, a clergyman). My old choir director, American but very British in his musical education, said I-zigh-uh. Perhaps it was just a strange affectation of his (he had many) or something that is sung one way and said another.
Any thoughts, O Britannic pals o' mine?
ETA since it's the middle of the night in Europe and I can squeeze this in: neether or nyether? And is "waistcoat" generally pronounced as it's spelled? Or even spelt?
Oh! and pastels--as in the artistic medium. Accent on first or second syllable?
TIA!
I-zay-uh or I-zigh-uh? Or something else?
Again, we're assuming an educated upper-middle-class speaker (in fact, a clergyman). My old choir director, American but very British in his musical education, said I-zigh-uh. Perhaps it was just a strange affectation of his (he had many) or something that is sung one way and said another.
Any thoughts, O Britannic pals o' mine?
ETA since it's the middle of the night in Europe and I can squeeze this in: neether or nyether? And is "waistcoat" generally pronounced as it's spelled? Or even spelt?
Oh! and pastels--as in the artistic medium. Accent on first or second syllable?
TIA!
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