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Why are there silent letters like "p" in swimming pool? It's a waste of resources.
Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Point?
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cowiz
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Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Point?
It's a piece of piss to be cowiz, but it's not cowiz to be a piece of piss. Or something like that.
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Xamonas Chegwé
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Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
I just know that you are the type to "p" in the swimming pool. 
A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it; or offer your own version in return.
Salman Rushdie
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House MD
Who needs a meaning anyway, I'd settle anyday for a very fine view.
Sandy Denny
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Paco
Yes, yes. But first I need to show you this venomous fish!
Calilasseia
I think we should do whatever Pawiz wants.
Twoflower
Bella squats momentarily then waddles on still peeing, like a horse
Millefleur
Salman Rushdie
You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic.
House MD
Who needs a meaning anyway, I'd settle anyday for a very fine view.
Sandy Denny
This is the wrong forum for bluffing
Paco
Yes, yes. But first I need to show you this venomous fish!
Calilasseia
I think we should do whatever Pawiz wants.
Twoflower
Bella squats momentarily then waddles on still peeing, like a horse
Millefleur
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FBM
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Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
I thought that was quite a tough question, to be honest.
"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken
"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."
"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."
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cowiz
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Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
pprofoundFBM wrote:I thought that was quite a tough question, to be honest.
It's a piece of piss to be cowiz, but it's not cowiz to be a piece of piss. Or something like that.
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FBM
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Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
Highly doubtful, diphthong.
"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken
"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."
"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."
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Xamonas Chegwé
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Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
And why, oh why, is pawiz pronounced as if it is spelt T.W.A.T? 
A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it; or offer your own version in return.
Salman Rushdie
You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic.
House MD
Who needs a meaning anyway, I'd settle anyday for a very fine view.
Sandy Denny
This is the wrong forum for bluffing
Paco
Yes, yes. But first I need to show you this venomous fish!
Calilasseia
I think we should do whatever Pawiz wants.
Twoflower
Bella squats momentarily then waddles on still peeing, like a horse
Millefleur
Salman Rushdie
You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic.
House MD
Who needs a meaning anyway, I'd settle anyday for a very fine view.
Sandy Denny
This is the wrong forum for bluffing
Paco
Yes, yes. But first I need to show you this venomous fish!
Calilasseia
I think we should do whatever Pawiz wants.
Twoflower
Bella squats momentarily then waddles on still peeing, like a horse
Millefleur
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Gallstones
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Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
There are no silent letters in 'pool'.
But here’s the thing about rights. They’re not actually supposed to be voted on. That’s why they’re called rights. ~Rachel Maddow August 2010
The Second Amendment forms a fourth branch of government (an armed citizenry) in case the government goes mad. ~Larry Nutter
The Second Amendment forms a fourth branch of government (an armed citizenry) in case the government goes mad. ~Larry Nutter
Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
I believe, and not without reason to, that they exist due to the Great Vowel Shift. In Old English, every letter would have been pronounced, e.g Knight (K-nig-h-ter). This, of course, happened through the 15th-18th century. While pronunciation has changed, the actual words have not.pawiz wrote:Know
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Why are there silent letters like "p" in swimming pool? It's a waste of resources.
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeee
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Gallstones
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Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
K-nig-h-ter?Devogay wrote:I believe, and not without reason to, that they exist due to the Great Vowel Shift. In Old English, every letter would have been pronounced, e.g Knight (K-nig-h-ter). This, of course, happened through the 15th-18th century. While pronunciation has changed, the actual words have not.pawiz wrote:Know
Knowledge
Gnome
Etc.
Why are there silent letters like "p" in swimming pool? It's a waste of resources.
Bul-l-s-hit
But here’s the thing about rights. They’re not actually supposed to be voted on. That’s why they’re called rights. ~Rachel Maddow August 2010
The Second Amendment forms a fourth branch of government (an armed citizenry) in case the government goes mad. ~Larry Nutter
The Second Amendment forms a fourth branch of government (an armed citizenry) in case the government goes mad. ~Larry Nutter
Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
A-Level-English-Language-under-Doctor-of-linguistics.Gallstones wrote:K-nig-h-ter?Devogay wrote:I believe, and not without reason to, that they exist due to the Great Vowel Shift. In Old English, every letter would have been pronounced, e.g Knight (K-nig-h-ter). This, of course, happened through the 15th-18th century. While pronunciation has changed, the actual words have not.pawiz wrote:Know
Knowledge
Gnome
Etc.
Why are there silent letters like "p" in swimming pool? It's a waste of resources.
Bul-l-s-hit
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeee
Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
Correction, all vowels and consonants used to be pronounced. So 'knight' would be 'knighte' when spoken etc.
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeee
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FBM
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Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
You and all your silly English k-ni-ghts!
"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken
"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."
"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."
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JOZeldenrust
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Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
Silent letters in English are mainly the result of the fact that English spelling is a de facto spelling, so spelling doesn't change when pronounciation does.
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devogue
Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
Listen to recordings of Chaucer's Knight's Tale with the original pronunciation.Gallstones wrote:K-nig-h-ter?Devogay wrote:I believe, and not without reason to, that they exist due to the Great Vowel Shift. In Old English, every letter would have been pronounced, e.g Knight (K-nig-h-ter). This, of course, happened through the 15th-18th century. While pronunciation has changed, the actual words have not.pawiz wrote:Know
Knowledge
Gnome
Etc.
Why are there silent letters like "p" in swimming pool? It's a waste of resources.
Bul-l-s-hit
Knight is pronounced Kinniggit (a la Monty Python).
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stripes4
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Re: Silent Letters In The English Language - What's The Poin
As a graduate of English, specialising in Lexicography, I would like to support Devogay in his explanation. Thankyou
Generally opening mouth simply to change the foot that I'll be putting in there
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