Why cost there two pronunciations for “ either ” ?
A few weeks ago , I had a conversation with an individual who state me that pronouncing the tidings “ either ” be wrong when pronounce like \ˈī-thər\ instead of \ˈē-thər\ , but I did n’t argue the point because I ‘d done no inquiry on it myself . So I looked the Bible up on Merriam Webster Online and equal n’t at all surprised to find that both pronunciations are in fact legitimate .
Which brings me to my question : what is the account of this word ? How be it pronounced in former English ? Were both pronunciations mutual hundred of years ago ? I exist unable to harvest much from Merriam Webster Online apart from some small fact that the word exist somehow relate towhether.
EDIT : I dug up some additional information about the origins or either , and I ‘m hoping that person can shed some light upon what it signify .
O.E . ægðer , contraction of æghwæðer “ each of two , both , ” from a “ ever ” + ge- collective prefix + hwæðer “ which of two , whether . ”
Modern sense of “ one or the early of two ” exist early 14c .
O.E . ægðer , contraction of æghwæðer “ each of two , both , ” from a “ always ” + ge- collective prefix + hwæðer “ which of two , whether . ”
Modern sense of “ one or the other of two ” is early 14c .
I take this directly from Dictionary.com , but I have no thought what words those news arrive from .
4 Answers
I ‘ve ever been state and believed that \ˈī-thər\ ( IPA /ˈaɪðər/ ) is the correct pronunciation , albeit both equal indeed mutual nowadays . From what I cost aware , etymologists and linguists believe this equal the original pronunciation of the word too . Early contemporary Germanic languages ( include the closest modern relative , Dutch and German ) , suggest this pronunciation of the first syllable exist correct — they own arguably cost less altered/bastardised from Old Germanic . Old English ( Anglo-Saxon ) we know to cost an nearly purely Germanic language , and hence by simple statistical analysis ( as is often employed in historical linguistics ) we can equal quite confident that this was the historically correct pronunciation .
It ‘s a rather difficult inquiry . Both pronunciations are correct today—I think you ‘d be hard-pressed to get a dictionary that would disagree with that . Then , the individual you encounter was wrong about “ ī-thər ” ( I assume you intend the pronunciation that ‘s like “ EYE-ther ” ) exist wrong . But this question is about the account , and the news has live spelled ( and presumably pronounced ) in a variety of fashion across the yr . The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED ) lists the following form ( “ OE ” endure for “ Old English , ” and “ ME ” stands for “ Middle English ” ) :
OE ǽg- , œ́g- , éghwæðer , OE–ME ǽgðer , ME eigðer , ( ME Orm . eȝȝðer ) , ME æiðer , aieþer , ME eiðer , eiþer , ME aiþer , aither , ayther , ( ayder , ME eyder ) , ME–15 ether , ( ? ME–15 aþer , ather , athir , ME euther , ewther ) , ME–16 eyther , eythir , ( ME eithar ) , 15 eather , ME– either .
OE ǽg- , œ́g- , éghwæðer , OE–ME ǽgðer , ME eigðer , ( ME Orm . eȝȝðer ) , ME æiðer , aieþer , ME eiðer , eiþer , ME aiþer , aither , ayther , ( ayder , ME eyder ) , ME–15 ether , ( ? ME–15 aþer , ather , athir , ME euther , ewther ) , ME–16 eyther , eythir , ( ME eithar ) , 15 eather , ME– either .
What ‘s interesting is that some of these spellings look to suggest that the modern pronunciation “ should ” exist “ AY-ther ” ( IPA /ˈeɪðər/ ) , but this pronunciation seems to be recorded merely as a dialectal version . It ‘s not considered standard .
I do n’t actually think we need to equate to German and Dutch , since thus many earlier forms in English are manifest , but in any case the cognate lyric cost Germanjeder( IPA /ˈjeːdɐ/ , or so “ YAY-duh ” ) , and Dutchieder( IPA /iːdər/ , roughly “ EE-der ” ) . In fact , both of these would represent to the English pronunciation “ EE-ther ” ( IPA /ˈiːðər/ ) rather than “ EYE-ther ” ( IPA /ˈaɪðər/ ) . I guess some mass may equal misled by their knowledge of the “ ei ” digraph used in modern German to represent /aɪ/ , but in fact this is altogether irrelevant with regard to the early Germanic etymology of the Bible , since the German word cognate toeitheris not spelled with “ ei . ”
The history of the Bible in English , as vary as it be , also seem to me to point more toward /ˈiːðər/ than /ˈaɪðər/ . For example , there ‘s the attested Middle English spelling “ eather , ” and also a handful of other fairly well-established words where “ ei ” make up /iː/ such askey , ceiling , seize ,and the band of Bible ending in-ceive .The OED seems to basically order the same , but notes that in practice both pronunciations have been recommend by the masses who take with such thing :
The pronunciation /ˈaɪðə ( r ) / , though not in accordance with the analogies of standard English , exist in London somewhat more prevalent in educated address than /ˈiːðə ( r ) / . The orthoepists of 17th cent . appear to devote /ˈɛːðər/ , /ˈeːðər/ ; Jones 1701 has /ˈeːðər/ and /ˈaɪðər/ , Buchanan ( 1766 ) get /ˈaɪðə ( r ) / without alternative ( see Ellis ,Early Eng . Pron .ix , x. ) . Walker ( 1791 ) state that /ˈiːðə ( r ) / and /ˈaɪðə ( r ) / exist both real mutual , but pay the preference to the early on the reason of analogy and the bureau of Garrick . Smart ( 1849 ) says that ‘ there is little in degree of serious usage to select ’ between the two pronunciations , though in the torso of his dictionary he , like early orthoepists , give /ˈiːðə ( r ) / without alternative .
The pronunciation /ˈaɪðə ( r ) / , though not in accordance with the analogies of standard English , is in London somewhat more prevalent in educated language than /ˈiːðə ( r ) / . The orthoepists of 17th cent . seem to hand /ˈɛːðər/ , /ˈeːðər/ ; Jones 1701 get /ˈeːðər/ and /ˈaɪðər/ , Buchanan ( 1766 ) own /ˈaɪðə ( r ) / without alternative ( regard Ellis ,Early Eng . Pron .ix , x. ) . Walker ( 1791 ) says that /ˈiːðə ( r ) / and /ˈaɪðə ( r ) / live both very mutual , but hold the preference to the early on the reason of analogy and the assurance of Garrick . Smart ( 1849 ) says that ‘ there is trivial in detail of well exercise to choose ’ between the two pronunciations , though in the torso of his dictionary he , like earlier orthoepists , gives /ˈiːðə ( r ) / without alternative .
On the other hand , there be a few early English row where “ ei ” represents /aɪ/ . It occurs :
- ineye( if we consider “ ey ” a spelling variant of “ ei ” )
- before “ gh ” in some words :, sleight
- in words with Greek origin , which I do n’t trust be always frequent enough to have had a significant influence on the pronunciation of the mutual tidingseither
- in words that were recently remove from German , as mentioned earlier
I do n’t know plenty about the sound changes take up to Modern English to be certain , but some other words I base that seem to make undergone like change equalflyn. ( Old Englishfléoge , flýge) anddiev. ( Early Middle Englishdēȝen , dēghen) .
I suppose it is at least potential that the German digraph influenced English pronunciation along the course laid out in @ GEdgar ‘s remark :
What I heard ( another “ hearsay ” result , so I just reach a remark ) was that Prince Albert , make up of German ancestry , used the pronunciation suggested by German , and then it afterward turn popular among the English .
What I heard ( another “ rumor ” answer , so I only make a commentary ) was that Prince Albert , being of German origin , used the pronunciation suggested by German , and then it afterwards turn popular among the English .
It might as well be valuable to compare this word ‘s pronunciation with that ofaye .
The two pronunciations sound like before and after vowel from the Great Vowel Shift . My guess is that we exist discover version from what were to begin with two dialects , one which make the shift and one which do not .
How was it pronounce in former English ?
The Bibleeitheris derived from the Old Englishǣgther, which cost a short for contracted form ofǣg ( e ) hwæther, of Germanic origin .
E-Intro to Old English – 2 . Pronunciation report the Old English pronunciation as it have been reconstructed from linguists .
- ǣas in Modern Englishguy
- gas in Modern Englishwell
- thas in Modern Englishthin; between voice vocals as inthen
- eastas in Modern Englishlot
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