ON PRONUNCIATION

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 46, 24 May 1935, Page 5

ON PRONUNCIATION

(THERE has been a great deal said lately, both by our readers and ourselves, on the quality and correctness of announcers’ pronunciations. Arguments have been advanced by one group and knocked down, nine-pin fashion, by the other; the pronunciation of Maori place-names has caused friends to: fly at one another's throats-and actually most of us were wasting our time, for even such an august body as the B.B.C. Advisory Committee of Spoken English cannot agree on all‘points of pronunciation. The word ‘Marylebone,’ for instance, is a great puzzle. The modern version used by London busmen and railwaymen appears to-.be "‘marlibon,’’ which is regarded by all good Londoners as something to be really ashamed of. Some adopt the rather fussy version ‘"‘marrilibon," but find it difficult to fit in the four syllables, and generally crash. The historic and unimpeachable version is "‘marribon,’" and the committee has decided to recommend it. The problem of finding a suitable name for the person who receives a broadcast television programme is one that has given the daily Press much exercise; the coining of new words does not strictly come,under the jurisdiction, of the Spoken English Committee, but in this case the corporation has asked the committee for its blessing upon the suggested word "‘televiewer,’’ which it is hoped will rapidly learn to disguise its mongrel origin by shedding the prefix an- showing itself to the world as "‘viewer."" Some name has to be found, and "viewer" will serve for the present. It is not unlikely, however, that the man-in-the-street,: with his customary genius for the mot juste, will hit upon the word that will finally be accepted into the language. ’