Thursday, June 04, 2009

Assimilated Pronunciation

Mark Krikorian got into trouble for this:
So, are we supposed to use the Spanish pronunciation, so-toe-my-OR, or the natural English pronunciation, SO-tuh-my-er, like Niedermeyer? The president pronounced it both ways, first in Spanish, then after several uses, lapsing into English. Though in the best "Pockiston" tradition, he also rolled his r's in Puerto Rico.
He's got a point. There is something unamerican about those pronunciations. The country is Pakistan, not Pockyston. I don't know what Sotomayor's problem is, but I guess we will soon find out.

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