PARLIAMENTARY ENGLISH
Sir,-I was interested to notice in Mr. Carr’s ‘article on Parliamentary English that he lists "controversy" with a set of words to be pronounced with the accent on the first syllable. I think I remember Professor Arnold Wall, in an article, giving the accent to the second syllable in this word, i.e., controversy. It rather surprised me, and I have been vainly trying to accustom myself to this way of pronouncing it. All languages change with time, Am I right in inferring that there is a tendency just now to put the accent on to the second syllable in English words in order to come into line with. the foreigners’ habit of always pronouncing an English word with the accent on the second syllable? This would. seem to be a very justifiable international trend. The Maori g has also come up for discussion. Is it correct that every g in Maori should be pronounced soft, as in stringy, not hard, as in stingaree? Nearly | everyone in New Zealand says Wanganui as though saying "organ.", Should it not be pronounced with the soft g as in rangi, which I think everyone pronouncés correctly (as in "stringy"). I am _ told that to be quite correct Wanganui should be spelt Whanganui and pronounced almost as with an initial F.
MARCUS
AURELIUS
(Epsom).
(The Maori ‘"‘g’’ is part gutteral and is best represented by the letters ‘‘ng." Whanganui is correct, with the "wh" pronounced as in "where.’’--Ed.) e
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 493, 3 December 1948, Page 17
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246PARLIAMENTARY ENGLISH New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 493, 3 December 1948, Page 17
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