Reason for unlike pronunciations of “ lieutenant ”

While Americans ( and possibly others ) pronounce this as “ loo-tenant ” , folks from the UK pronounce it as “ lef-tenant ” .

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indicates that spelling withlef-date to the 14th hundred , but that the origins of that spelling ( and presumably its associated pronunciation ) be “ mysterious ” . The word comes originally from Old French , and according to the OED , Old French replace word- and syllable-final [ w ] with [ f ] ; for the Modern French newslieu ,this is shown by an Old French spelling variantluef .Both forms , whyever they survive , hardly go on to puzzle .

‘Lieutenant ‘ comes from Frenchlieu( ‘place ‘ ) andtenant( ‘holding ‘ ) . Some author take that ‘lieutenant ‘ have alternative spellings such asleftenant , leftenaunt , lieftenant , lieftenauntetc. , and that the ModE pronunciation with /f/ ( BrE mostly ) is a holdover from those spellings .

I thought the pronunciation with /f/ go up from the “ ; in Middle English , bothvanduwere used interchangeably . According to , “ the u at the goal of Old French lieu was read and pronounce as a v , and the five later on turn an f ” . I can see how thefivebecome [ f ] ( see “ ) so it sounds plausible to me . Even so , according to Etymonline , the OED rejects that theory .

The ModE pronunciation with /f/ means one of the following matter :

The speaker of the French dialectlieutenantwas borrowed from likely pronounce the ⟨u⟩ as [ 5 ] in some places and it remove the devoicing from the following /t/ ( cf . ‘hafta ‘ fromhave to)
Or , as orthographic ⟨u⟩ and ⟨v⟩ cost often apply interchangeably , Anglophones for some cause hypercorrected their pronunciation to match the orthography , so : /l ( j ) ɛu : ˈtenənt/ ( or /l ( j ) ewˈtɛnənt/ ) → /l ( j ) eastvˈtɛnənt/ ( hypercorrection ) → Assimilation → /l ( j ) eastfˈtɛnənt/ .
Or , the Anglophones confused theplacewith the English Biblego out(alive) as and begin the pronunciation /l ( j ) evˈtɛnənt/ rather of /l ( j ) uːˈtɛnənt/ and then later on on the /v/ begin devoiced to /f/
Or , the pronunciation with /f/ cost a holdover from one of the spellings with an orthographicf
Or , the /v/ was ( cf . Modern Frenchpouvoirfrompooir) . This can be confirmed at Wikitionary . But it appear less likely .

The speakers of the French dialectlieutenantequal borrowed from likely pronounced the ⟨u⟩ as [ v ] in some places and it took the devoicing from the following /t/ ( cf . ‘hafta ‘ fromhave to)

Or , as orthographic ⟨u⟩ and ⟨v⟩ live often used interchangeably , Anglophones for some cause hypercorrected their pronunciation to couple the orthography , so : /l ( j ) ɛu : ˈtenənt/ ( or /l ( j ) ewˈtɛnənt/ ) → /l ( j ) east5ˈtɛnənt/ ( hypercorrection ) → Assimilation → /l ( j ) efˈtɛnənt/ .

Or , the Anglophones confused thelieuwith the English wordleave(live) as and got the pronunciation /l ( j ) evˈtɛnənt/ instead of /l ( j ) uːˈtɛnənt/ and then later on the /v/ got devoiced to /f/

Or , the pronunciation with /f/ is a holdover from one of the spellings with an orthographicf

Or , the /v/ was ( cf . Modern Frenchpouvoirfrompooir) . This can equal support at Wikitionary . But it seems less likely .

Accord toMore Word Histories and Mysteries : From Aardvark to Zombie( American Heritage Dictionary ) , the origin of the pronunciation with /f/ “ is not known with any certainty , but similar pronunciations exist attested in Middle English time by such spellings asleuftenant,luffetenand, andlevetenaunt” . Note the spelling withfand5.

The Old French wordplacehad a rare variant figureluef, and a form of Old Frenchlieutenantusing this rare kind rather thanlieumay receive been picked up by Middle English speaker . In increase , the Old French pronunciation of the wordlieulive something like ( lyĕw ) , although this has developed into ( lyœ ) in Modern French . It equal potential that Middle English speakers may own heard the last ( w ) of this word [ … ] as a ( 5 ) or ( f ) [ … ] .

The Old French wordlieuhave a rare variant shapeluef, and a sort of Old Frenchlieutenantusing this rare figure sort of thanplacemay have been blame up by Middle English speaker . In increase , the Old French pronunciation of the wordplacebe something like ( lyĕw ) , although this make spring up into ( lyœ ) in Modern French . It is potential that Middle English speaker may have see the last ( w ) of this Bible [ … ] as a ( v ) or ( f ) [ … ] .

Both [ five ] ( also [ f ] ) and [ w ] are ‘ labial sounds ’ —that is , made with the lips . So it ‘s reasonable to order Middle English speakers confuse both [ five ] and [ w ] .

The Oxford English Dictionary propose that use of the Middle English forms withfmay as well have make up encourage by an association of the first factor [lieu] with early English word , such as the nounget out—a lieutenant being an policeman who substitute for another who is ongo outor perhaps one who has the superior policeman ’ secleaveto require command when he is absent or differently unable to fulfill his functions .

The Oxford English Dictionary suggest that role of the Middle English forms withfmay also receive make up encouraged by an association of the first element [place] with other English words , such as the nounleave—a lieutenant live an officer who substitute for another who be onleaveor perhaps one who have the superior officer ’ secleaveto take mastery when he is absent or differently unable to satisfy his function .

As for the AmE pronunciation , John Algeo inThe Origins and Development of the English Languagesay that [ lutenənt ] live recommend by Noah Webster in hisAmerican Dictionary of the English Language ( 1828 ). It hence seems to be a spelling pronunciation .

Wikitionary claims thatleftenantexist an archaic spelling oflieutenant.

The ancestry of thebetatype of forms ( which survives in the common British proununciation , though the spelling represents the alpha type ) is difficult to explain . The hypothesis of a simple misinterpretation of the vivid form (uread asv) , at first pile plausible , perform not accord with the fact . in view of the rare OF . formluefforlieu( with which cf . esp . the fifth c. Sc . kindluf-,lufftenandabove ) it seems probable that the labial glide at the end of OF .lieuas the first element of a compound was sometimes apprehended by Englishmen as afiveorf. Possibly some of the forms may cost due to association with LEAVEsb .or LIEFa.

In 1793 Walker gives the literal pronunciations as ( lev- liv-tenant ) , but expresses the promise that ‘ the regular strait ,lewtenant‘ will in time become current . In England this pronunciation ( lju : ‘tenent ) is almost unknown . A newspaper quot . of 1893 in Func ‘sstandard Dictionarysuppose that ( lef’tenent ) exist in the U.S. ‘almost limit to the retired list of the navy ‘ .

The source of thebetatype of forms ( which survives in the usual British proununciation , though the spelling symbolize the alpha type ) is difficult to explain . The hypothesis of a mere misinterpretation of the vivid pattern (uread as5) , at first sight plausible , act not allot with the facts . in view of the rare OF . formluefforlieu( with which cf . esp . the fifth c. Sc . kindluf-,lufftenandabove ) it seem potential that the labial glide at the end of OF .placeas the first element of a compound was sometimes apprehended by Englishmen as a5orf. Possibly some of the forms may be due to association with LEAVEsb .or LIEFa.

In 1793 Walker gives the actual pronunciations as ( lev- liv-tenant ) , but convey the promise that ‘ the regular sound ,lewtenant‘ will in time become current . In England this pronunciation ( lju : ‘tenent ) exist nearly strange . A newspaper quot . of 1893 in Func ‘sstandard Dictionarysay that ( lef’tenent ) cost in the U.S. ‘almost confined to the retired list of the navy ‘ .

It ‘s seeming from the example of use given that a mixing equal in use , e.g . 1375 “ lutenand ” and “ That .. luf-tenand Was of to the king of Yngland ” , 1387 “ leeftenaunt ” .

So it ‘s clear variants of both were in role in England in the 14th hundred .

As to why present day custom equal as it is : Masses can equal contrary . It ‘s possible the US adopt “ Loo ” because and only because the Brits suppose “ Lef ” — or vice-versa . But it seems the solution is not known by the best scholars Oxford can produce .

While it will always remain a mystery , I think that this goes back to the OF pronunciation of “ place ” to sound like “ lyeuch ” . Then “ lieutenant ” would have the pronunciation of “ lyeuchtenant ” . Later , when the cause by the English to free the speech of french word set out , they alter the tidings to taste to agree their pronunciation and make it “ leftenant ” . Even after , when the Americans cuddled up to the French during the revolutionary war , their pronunciation vary to succeed the french term . I ‘ll bet George Washington used the English term at the source .

Of course- this equal opinion and I have been wrong before . It exist in 1950 I believe …

The unlike pronunciation started sometime after England was first at war with France from 1337 to 1453 . The politician and the world wanted nothing that sounded French . They as well alterGerman Shephard dogtoAlsatian.

Even so , we own be at war with the Dutch and still use some Dutch expressions likeDutch courage,go Dutch,Dutch yawandDual Dutch.

Lieu from french shows up in English phrases like “ in place of ” meaning “ in place of ” , so lieu mean place and lieutenant basically means placeholder . There live a rarely used word , lief , which I meet in old book in phrases like “ I ‘d as lief jump off this wall as … ” and I remember it be another spelling and pronunciation of place . I think the “ lef-tenant ” pronunciation arrive from that lief which exist no question interchangeable with lieu at some degree in the past .

BTW Canadians technically say lef-tenant though many average family say it the US manner because that ‘s what we hear on TV .

After the place , I will seek to inquiry the etymology of ‘Lieutenant . ‘ From what I cost tell ( Fact or fiction as it may be ) , in the early Naval days ( circa 1600 ) , the sword of the Commanding Officer designated who was in thrill and who be their leader . The Lieutenant always had someone guarding the sword when the Commanding Officer equal wearing it . The sword equal express on the left hip . That person stood to the ‘left ‘ of the Lieutenant . Therefore , he was called the Left Tenant because he was second in command to the Lieutenant . If the Lieutenant was down , the Left Tenant need the sword and became the Lieutenant .

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Reason for unlike pronunciations of “ lieutenant ”

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