(no subject)

[gemfyre]

WHY do Americans pronounce "Parmesan" as "Parmajhan"?

Hrm, maybe the same reason "herb" becomes "urb" in Americanese, and aluminium loses a syllable.

Comments

[marzipan9.livejournal.com]

well, how do you pronounce parmesan?

and the h in herb is supposed to be silent, no?

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

Par-mee-zahn.

I remember as a little kid being taught that it was "haitch" not "aitch". It's a proper English thing I think. I know in My Fair Lady Higgins spends quite a bit of time teaching Eliza how to enunciate her h's.