[Sca-cooks] Reptilian Pronunciation

[Sue Clemenger]

Different languages of origin, of course....
"Jaguar," according to my handy, old dictionary has its roots in the
Guarani word "yaguara" and the Tupi word "jaguara."  The dict. does give
the alternate pronunciation jag-yew-ar as being particularly British.
"Guarantee," on the other hand, is listed as most likely a spelling
variation of "guaranty," coming into English from the Middle French
"garantie," and traceable back to an older word of Germanic origin,
"garant," meaning "warrant."
--Maire, more than pleased that she can show off her ability to do
something right, even if it's only read a dictionary! <g> (and not
usually a pedant, but almost always a pain in the behind ;-)

"Laura C. Minnick" wrote:
>
>
> American English has had considerably more outside influences thrown at it-
> languages are living things, and with an ocean to seperate people, the
> evolution of pronunciation and spelling (not to mention vocabulary!) grew
> in different directions than did language in Britain.
>
> This of course does not explain why jaguar and guarantee are pronounced so
> differently, when the same four-letter pattern is present. Personally, I
> think that is a question for Dr. Johnson!
>
> 'Lainie
> sometime amateur pedant