VOA慢速英语--Why Is 'Colonel' Pronounced 'Ker'nel?'

 

Welcome to Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

On this program we explore the origin and history of American expressions and teach you how to use them.

Today we focus more on history than usage¹. We are going to answer an age-old question that may have been keeping you awake at night. Well, perhaps not. But it’s still an interesting word story!

The pronunciation of some words can cause trouble for people learning English. For example, words such as “circle,” “sir,” “certainly” and “surprise” all sound as if they begin with the same letters. But they don’t.

Knowing language of origin for an unknown or new word – its roots – can help you pronounce the word the right way. Just ask any student who has ever competed in a spelling bee. One question that spelling bee contestants³ can ask the judges during the event is, “What is the language of origin?”

Nyctinasty

Nyctinasty. Will you please give me the language of origin?

It’s made up of Greek elements that were probably first combined in German.

N-y-c-t-i-n-a-s-t-y. Nyctinasty.

Correct.

The development or evolution of a word over time can also play a part in how we say it. In fact, both origin and evolution are involved in the pronunciation of the word “colonel⁴.”

First, what does “colonel” mean?

A colonel is a military official. In the United States, it can mean an officer in the Army, Air Force or Marine⁵ Corps⁶.

Colonel is spelled c-o-l-o-n-e-l. So, why do Americans say colonel as if it is spelled k-e-r-n-e-l? Adding to the confusion⁷ is that "kernel⁸" is a word of its own and one that has several meanings.

But, let’s get back to “colonel” … the c-o-l-o-n-e-l one.

We know that many languages borrow and even steal words from other languages. The English language is probably the biggest thief of them all! It stole "colonel" from at least two countries – maybe even three.

First, let's talk about Italy.

By the 15th century, Italian forces were known for being good at war. So, many Italian war terms spread across Europe, including the word "colonel." It comes from the Italian word ‘colonnello.’ This is the position given to the officer responsible for a small force or column of soldiers.

Then there's the influence of France on “colonel.”

The French also took this word from the Italians. But when they added it to their language, they changed the word "colonnelo" to "coronel." Language experts say this is because the French wanted to have the "r" sound in the word, instead of the two "l" sounds.

Finally, let's not forget Spain.

At the same time, the Spanish were also pronouncing c-o-l-o-n-e-l as k-e-r-n-e-l. It is possible that both the French and the Spanish pronunciation affected⁹ the English version of the word.

In addition to country of origin, there is something else at play in the word history of "colonel": written versus¹⁰ spoken language.

From the very beginning, when this word came into English in the 1500s, there were two versions of spelling and two pronunciations.

By around the 17th century, the word began appearing in military treaties across Europe. So, the written form of the word (colonel) and the spoken ("kernel") were both being used.

In English, a combination won out. Colonel was spelled c-o-l-o-n-e-l but pronounced "kernel."

Please let me apologize from the bottom of my heart for our crazy and sometimes confusing English pronunciations!

That's all for this Words and Their Stories. Join us again next week when we talk about more words and expressions in American English.

I'm Anna Matteo.

Words in This Story

age-old – adj. very old : having existed for a very long time

pronounce – v. to make the sound of (a word or letter) with your voice : pronunciation – n. the way in which a word or name is pronounced

contestant² – n. a person who takes part in a contest

confusing – adj. difficult to understand

column – n. a long row of people or things — often + of : a column of troops/cars

versus – prep. used to indicate two different things, choices, etc., that are being compared or considered

bottom of my heart – informal expression with sincere, deep feelings

crazy – adj. very strange or unusual

1 usage   

n.惯用法，使用，用法

参考例句：

• I am clear about the usage of this word at last.这个词的用法我算是弄明白了。
• The usage is now firmly established.这种用法现已得到确认。

2 contestant   

n.竞争者，参加竞赛者

参考例句：

• The company will furnish each contestant with a free ticket.公司将为每个参赛者免费提供一张票。
• The personal appearance and interview of the contestant is another count.参加比赛者的个人仪表和谈话也是一项。

3 contestants   

n.竞争者，参赛者( contestant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The competition attracted over 500 contestants representing 8 different countries. 这次比赛吸引了代表8个不同国家的500多名参赛者。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 colonel   

n.(英国陆军、美国陆空军及海军陆战队)上校

参考例句：

• It's a pity we didn't mend our fences with the colonel.可惜我们还没有和上校先生调整好关系。
• An army major ranks between a captain and a colonel.陆军少校的军阶在上尉与中校之间。

5 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

6 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

7 confusion   

n.困惑，迷乱，混淆，混乱，骚乱

参考例句：

• His answers to my questions have only added to my confusion.他对我的问题的回答只是使我更加困惑不解。
• His unexpected arrival threw us into total confusion.他的突然来访使我们完全不知所措。

8 kernel   

n.(果实的)核，仁；(问题)的中心，核心

参考例句：

• The kernel of his problem is lack of money.他的问题的核心是缺钱。
• The nutshell includes the kernel.果壳裹住果仁。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。