Quick Answer : Does Grindr tell if you screenshot? The lower ranked soldier on the left protected the senior officers left side. Nomad, London, England. According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. A Lieutenant (a leader of a platoon) is pronounced Left-tenant in the U.K. (as he/she is left the tenancy of command). In the US however, the word is pronounced as 'Lew-tenant', much to British distaste. But how did this word (and its weird pronunciation) come to be? Zero is a little bit longer to pronounce, hence the oh. Lieutenant (Maldivian Marine Corps)[90]. Why do British pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? Political uses include lieutenant governor in various governments, such as the viceregal representatives of the Crown in Canadian provinces. It simply is and that's the most important part of the equation. It is in the sense of a deputy that it has entered into the titles of more senior officers, lieutenant general and lieutenant colonel. How do Brits pronounce it? Cookie Notice Why is lieutenant pronounced leftenant? Explained by Sharing Culture Armchairlinguists on both sides of the Atlantic offered up various answers and suggestions: heres a selection for your interest and entertainment , Because its the correct pronunciation. Nomad, London, England, The Brits are weird jon, cambria, United States, So we have the profound and highly informative answer from an American, he says: The Brits are weird. It is the lowest field-grade rank. Just love its diversity of humour ! Why is lieutenant pronounced "leftenant" in British English? In Canada, the representative of the Canadian monarch in each province is called the Lieutenant Governor. The insignia of a lieutenant in many navies, including the Royal Navy,[92] consists of two medium gold braid stripes (top stripe with loop) on a navy blue or black background. But, then youre in danger of forgetting how to say it in American-English. The USN settled on "lieutenant commander" in 1862, and made it a distinct rank; the Royal Navy followed suit in March 1914. Over time the word locum evolved into the French word lieu, which is pronounced in French as it is spelled. John. As a given-name, St. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Lieutenant is the 18th rank in the United States Navy , ranking above Lieutenant Junior Grade and directly below Lieutenant Commander. a person appointed to carry out a task). 2 Is there a difference between lieutenant and leftenant? Although lieutenants are no longer numbered by seniority, the post of "first lieutenant" remains. The Lieutenant Governor exercises all the royal prerogative powers that the monarch holds. How To Spell (and Pronounce) Colonel and Lieutenant - LanguageTool Insights The United States Marine Corps and British Royal Marines[88] both use army ranks, while many former Eastern-Bloc marine forces retain the naval form[clarification needed]. Is lieutenant pronounced leftenant? The word appeared in English as lieutenant, and an alternative leftenant was made to stick to the pronunciation. As nouns the difference between lieutenant and leftenant is that lieutenant is (military) the lowest commissioned officer rank or ranks in many military forces while leftenant is an archaic spelling of lieutenant. If youre not up to speed with your old-colonial vernacular, heres the deal: Canadian English dictates the word lieutenant be pronounced lefttenant, rather than lootenant. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. It is pronounced in the old-fashioned English way, /ref/, so that it rhymes with safe and waif. The lower ranked soldier on the "left" protected the senior officers left side. This word was then adopted by the French, who translated the term in their own language, converted the word colonnello to the word coronel. Edmund's work as a teacher, administrator, and researcher has given him a unique perspective on how students learn and what educators can do to foster a love of learning in their students. In the British Army and in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, a second lieutenant is the lowest ranking commissioned officer. In the Royal Navy, the commissioned rank of mate was created in 1840, and was renamed sub-lieutenant in 1860. Lieu from french shows up in English phrases like in lieu of meaning in place of, so lieu means place and lieutenant essentially means placeholder. Reason for different pronunciations of "lieutenant" Why is colonel pronounced weird? Why is Colonel pronounced kernel? Have some class. William Franklin, Brighton, UK. Its believed that at some time before the 19th century, the British read and pronounced the U at the end of lieu as a V and the V later became an F. Why is lieutenant pronounced 'left-tenant' in some varieties of - Quora In the US Air Force, the Third Lieutenant Program refers specifically to a training program at active duty air force bases for cadets of the Air Force Academy and Air Force ROTC the summer before their fourth and final year before graduation and commissioning. In the 17th century, the term "lieutenant" corresponded to "deputy" (i.e. You might want to rule the world from Washington but its still English. Learn how to pronounce "lieutenant" in British English and American English. Good luck, This one is amazing. It is roughly equivalent to an inspector in the British and Canadian police forces. Wikitionary claims that leftenant is an archaic spelling of lieutenant. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". How about left-renter? Thats why its a good idea to use LanguageTool as a writing assistant. Why do British pronounce lieutenant with an F? By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The senior grade of lieutenant is known as first lieutenant in the United States, and as lieutenant in the United Kingdom and the rest of the English-speaking world. [3] Furthermore, in Latin, the lingua franca of the era, the letter v is used for both u and v. 18 3 New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The British pronunciation of the French word "lieutenant" (as "lef-tenant") is the official pronunciation as used by the Canadian Armed Forces, but the American pronunciation of "loo-tenant" (which is closer to the original French pronunciation) is sometimes heard outside of the military. He was later elevated to Lieutenant-General of Police. Why is lieutenant pronounced leftenant? Explained by Sharing Culture Lieutenants were commonly put in command of smaller vessels not warranting a commander or captain: such a lieutenant was called a "lieutenant commanding" or "lieutenant commandant" in the United States Navy, and a "lieutenant in command" or "lieutenant and commander" in the Royal Navy. Why do Canadians pronounce 'Lieutenant' as 'Leftenant,' and - Quora These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. No one can really say why in the British Army the word is pronounced left-tenant but its notable that in the Royal Navy the pronunciation seems half way across the ocean. What is the difference between a lieutenant and a lieu? Then some Italian texts began influencing the English written form and we ended up with the l making its way back into the word, but the French pronunciation had already stuck. The post of first lieutenant in a shore establishment carries a similar responsibility to the first lieutenant of a capital ship. Second lieutenant is usually the most junior grade of commissioned officer. It stuck, to avoid embarrassing him. The French version of the word, coronel, then made its way into English. Why do British people pronounce lieutenant as 'lef-tenant'? This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. Col., Col, COL can all serve as abbreviations for colonel. Reference questions answered here. Back in 2013, onThe GuardiansNotes and Queries page, a man calledJeff Rushton from London asked this very good question: Why exactly do the British say lieutenant as leftenant? In short, English borrowed the word from French, which borrowed it from Italian. Lieutenant, Leutnant or Leftenant? - narkive Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. why is lieutenant pronounced leftenant - vidasproductivas.org How is Lieutenant pronounced in Canada? There's no need to delve into etymythology to try and fail to figure out the why. Some police departments split the rank of lieutenant into two separate grades. The Salvation Army also uses lieutenant to denote first time officers, or clergymen/women. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. It does not store any personal data. The lower ranked soldier on the "left" protected the senior officers left side. When Edmund isn't working or speaking, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Its English our language. The rank is also used in fire services, emergency medical services, security services and police forces. In England (and her colonies, except for America of course) it is pronounced "leftentant" because it is bastardization of the French pronunciation, which has that ever-so-French, back of the mouth, oooggff sound at the end of the first syllable. Why do we say O instead of zero? [98] The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (founded 1871) had the rank of lieutenant between staff sergeant and inspector until 1997. To the man referencing Websters English dictionary, do yourself a favor and pick up an Oxford English Dictionary. CLTs may be promoted to the rank of senior cadet lieutenant (S/CLT), which has a rank insignia of a pip and two bars below it.[100]. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. It also falls in the same category as Colonel, pronounced kernel. A number of city and burgh police forces in Scotland used the rank of lieutenant (and detective lieutenant) between inspector and superintendent from 1812 to 1948. The word arrived in English from French in 1375 and within 100 years the English were pronouncing it left-tenant as if there were a right-tenant as well. In most English-speaking and Arabic-speaking countries, as well as a number of European and South American nations, full lieutenants (and equivalents) usually wear two stars (pips) and second lieutenants (and equivalents) one. No, they are not. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Therefore, the term leftenant developed. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. The lower ranked soldier on the "left" protected the senior officers left side. Leftenant is the British pronunciation, lieutenant is the American pronunciation. it's not. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. (The German name for the Thames is die Temse). As Wdnesdg moved from Old English to Middle English, its spelling changed. Why do British people pronounce lieutenant wrong? Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant with an F? The first lieutenant in the Royal Navy and other Commonwealth navies, is a post or appointment, rather than a rank. It can detect misspelled words (yes, even those with unusual spelling) and incorrect grammar. The leftenant is left(tenant, English) in tenancy of the platoon, in lieu(tenant, French) of the captain. It is possible that when the English heard the French pronounce the compound word lieutenant, they perceived a slurring which they heard as a "v" or "f" sound between the first and second. The British and others pronounce z, zed, owing to the origin of the letter z, the Greek letter Zeta. Yes, it is. why is lieutenant pronounced leftenant - dramaresan.com Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. So a Lieutenant is someone who "holds a place" or functions as a deputy of a superior. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. This gave rise to the Old French zede, which resulted in the English zed around the 15th century. In the US, zebra is pronounced as zee-bruh, so with a long e. The Royal Air Force also has an acting pilot officer designation, the most junior commissioned rank in the British armed forces. No idea whether any of this is true, just telling you what I have heard and from whom I heard it. [2] Officially we follow the British pronunciation for it in Canada, but plenty of people say it the American way. You have entered an incorrect email address! and our This gave rise to the Old French zede, which resulted in the English zed around the 15th century. Furthermore, Why do Brits pronounce Derby as Darby? As nouns the difference between lieutenant and leftenant. lieutenant colonel, lieutenant general, lieutenant commander, flight lieutenant, second lieutenant and many non-English language examples), in both the Old and the New World. An example of an exception is the United States, whose armed forces distinguish their lieutenant ranks with a silver bar for first lieutenant and brass bar for second lieutenant. The pronunciation being very difficult for English speaker. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. It's believed that at some time before the 19th century, the British read and pronounced the "U" at the end of "lieu" as a "V" and the "V" later became an "F". The title of Third Lieutenant, essentially equal to the rank of ensign, existed until 1915 when the Service became the nucleus of the new United States Coast Guard. While some air forces use the army rank system, the British Royal Air Force and many other Commonwealth air forces use another rank system in which flight lieutenant ranks with an army captain and naval lieutenant, a flying officer ranks with an army lieutenant and a pilot officer with an army second lieutenant. The pronunciation came about because of the famous British inland pirate. ", "tat des Lieux: Formation des forces de dfense et de scurit sur les droit de l'enfant au Niger", "Pakistan Army Ranks with Salary and Insignia", " 11 2010 293 " , ", "Gradabzeichen und Farben der Achselschlaufen", " ", "Journal officiel de la rpublique togolaise", "Tonga Defence Services (Amendment) Regulations 2009", "TRKMENISTANY KANUNY Harby borlulyk we harby gulluk hakynda (Trkmenistany Mejlisini Maglumatlary 2010 ., 3, 58-nji madda) (Trkmenistany 01.10.2011 . Lieu in French means place and tenant is to hold. As a German, the th was difficult for him to pronounce and he pronounced it as Tems. (Examples : lieutenant governor, police lieutenant, lieutenant general. Why keep.The French part, tenant, then? The latter if you're British. Do Canadians say lieutenant or leftenant? How do you pronounce lieutenant in English? In the US however, the word is pronounced as Lew-tenant, much to British distaste. Well go over its spelling and meaning, and show you how to make sure you always spell this word correctly. 1 Why do Americans pronounce lieutenant differently? Join ourAdvertisingCommunity and share you ideas today ! The lower ranked soldier on the "left" protected the senior officers left side. Additionally, it can also provide synonyms and suggest formatting improvements. Before 1999 the Royal Marines enjoyed the same rank structure as the army, but at a grade higher; thus a Royal Marine captain ranked with and was paid the same as a British Army major. Don Draper is a grammar nerd Be still, our writerly hearts. It comes easier after a few tries. What Does Crossing The Burning Sands Mean? According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. On submarines and smaller Coast Guard cutters the billet of first lieutenant may be filled by a petty officer. It is possible that when the English heard the French pronounce the compound word lieutenant, they perceived a slurring which they heard as a "v" or "f" sound between the first and second syllables. In the United States, it is pronounced / lutnnt/, whereas in British English its pronounced /lftnnt/. Thank the British for our language and New York, else we would be speaking Dutch in New Amsterdam (or however the Dutch spell it). , P.S. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Jamie also shared a pronunciation map of the U.S. put together in 2013 by Joshua Katz of North Carolina States department of statistics, showing that the car-mel pronunciation dominates the western and northern part of the nation, while car-uh-mel starts in southeast Texas and slowly slides diagonally up the . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These were typically newly commissioned officers for which no authorized second lieutenant position existed. Is Taco Bell healthier than other fast food? Who is the blonde girl in the new Verizon commercial? Weve made a mistake, forgotten about an important detail, or havent managed to get the point across? Assistant Superintendent(Bangladesh Police), Assistant Superintendent(Indian Police Service), Police Lieutenant(Philippine National Police), Police Lieutenant(National Police of Ukraine), US Police 2nd Lieutenant(Police ranks of the United States), US Police 1st Lieutenant(Police ranks of the United States), In the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the rank of lieutenant (LTA) is the second-lowest commissioned rank. I think it's because in England it was the royalty and nobility who decided how to pronounce words, and they wanted to be fancy and pronounce their own language incorrectly. Why do the British say Zed? Well show you how to always write maintenance correctly. Why do Americans pronounce lieutenant differently? The first French Lieutenant of Police, Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie, was appointed in Paris by Louis XIV on 15 March 1667 to command a reformed police force. In the Finnish military there is a senior lieutenant grade that ranks above lieutenant and second lieutenant but below captain; it does not have an English equivalent. Colonel has no "R", although it's pronounced with one, and lieutenant has what seems to be a random "I" in it. In the US Navy, the rank was called master until 1883, when it was renamed lieutenant, junior grade. Something may be bloody marvellous or bloody awful. No one is going to get offended by someone saying frick. According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. It was spelled both clark and clerk. The English spelling also changed, and the pronunciation was shortened to two syllables. What Town Is The Cheapest To Live In New Hampshire. Go well beyond grammar and spell checking. There is a rarely used word, lief, which I see in old books in phrases like Id as lief jump off this wall as and I think it is another spelling and pronunciation of lieu. In minor war vessels, destroyers and frigates the first lieutenant (either a lieutenant or lieutenant-commander) is second in command, executive officer (XO) and head of the executive branch; in larger ships where a commander of the warfare specialization is appointed as the executive officer, a first lieutenant (normally a lieutenant-commander) is appointed as his deputy. In smaller ships with only a single deck division, the billet is typically filled by an ensign while in larger ships with a deck department, consisting of multiple subordinate divisions, the billet may be filled by a lieutenant commander. Learn More 17 Anonymous 2 y Related Niece can be a challenging word for some people to spell. ! Peter Charles, London, England, My fellow Brits cynical intolerance for Americans makes me ashamed to be British. Therefore, the term leftenant developed. Americans changed it to fit their own odd version of a perfect language. Sid, Saffron Walden, England, Well, how def yef say leftenant? Mark Dallas, London UK, Because its our language, and we can say it any way we like. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. Such is the case with the word lieutenant. Even later, when the Americans cuddled up to the French during the revolutionary war, their pronunciation changed to follow the french term. A few of them are: Its understandable why these words cause so much confusion. Leftenant is the U.K. and Commonwealth . This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. The Oxford English Dictionary states the pronunciation is "difficult to explain ," but suggests the old French word originally had a "w" sound at the end of the first syllable, and that eventually got confused with an "f" or a "v" and created the British way of saying the word. So maybe they encouraged the alternate pronunciation to keep rank and file soldiers from making a joke of their superiors' title? The word lieutenant derives from French; the lieu meaning "place" as in a position (cf. In most cases, newly commissioned officers do not remain at the rank for long before being promoted, and both university graduates and officers commissioned from the ranks may skip the rank altogether. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant#Pronunciation. Today, were going to give you the history (and correct spelling and pronunciation) of two military words: colonel and lieutenant. 1 : an official who acts for a higher official. Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organisations with a codified command structure. So if no-one gives you the real answer, as no-one has been able to give me the real answer, at least you have this speculation. I'm not sure which way other English speaking countries go. Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? - Kyoto2.org LieutenantArabic: , romanized:Mulazim awwal(Algerian Land Forces)[6], Leytenant(Armenian Ground Forces)[9], LieutenantBengali: (Bangladesh Army)[13], Liejtenant(Belarusian Ground Forces)[14], Leytenant(Bulgarian Land Forces)[19], Lieutenant(Burkina Faso Ground Forces)[20], LieutenantKirundi: Riyetena(Burundi Ground Forces)[21], LieutenantFrench: Lieutenant(Canadian Army)[22], Lieutenant(Central African Ground Forces), Leitenanti(Georgian Land Forces)[34], LieutenantHindi: (Indian Army)[39], LieutenantIrish: Leifteanant(Irish Army)[40], Lieutenant(Ivory Coast Ground Forces)[42], Leytenant(Kazakh Ground Forces)[44], LieutenantNepali: , romanized:Upasnn(Nepali Army)[58], Leytenant(Russian Ground Forces)[67], Lejtenant(Tajik Ground Forces)[77], Lieutenant(Trinidad and Tobago Regiment)[80], Leytenant(Ukrainian Ground Forces)[83]. Some areas of Britain say darbee, some say derbee. The word arrived in English from French in 1375 and within 100 years the English were pronouncing it left-tenant as if there were a right-tenant as well. 2 : first lieutenant. These are surely not the only words that aren't spelled the way they're pronounced. :) , To read the more informative answers (including ahypothesis offered by Sean from Colorado that in British slang, of which he observes there is a great deal, the word, refers to a toilet, and therefore he assumesthat they do not want to give the impression that a leftenant is a resident of a toilet, as in loo-tenant), read the full piece at. How do you start a conversation with a stranger? Why do British pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Sounding it out may help, al-loo-MIN-ee-um Theres a second i in the British form of the word, aluminium, hence the extra syllable. Some areas of Britain say darbee, some say derbee. In Germany it is called Oberleutnant (senior lieutenant). "Leftenant" (or "leften't") is merely. This might be one of them that they changed. . Notice words like March (Marche) to walk), Salute (Salut)greeting), beret, reveille (to get up), soldier, morale just for starters are all French words that are used daily in the military. Whats the correct way to say zebra? By the mid-17th century, the spelling and French pronunciation had changed to colonnel. And what is it with these Americans, who speak of British English and a British version hello!! This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Therefore, the term leftenant developed. I've noticed in older texts and interviews with older British people they have a tendency to use "shall" and "should" when a younger speaker would use "will" and "would." Why exactly do the British say lieutenant as 'leftenant'? New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The subordinate position or military rank is spelled lieutenant. Why is the French word lieutenant pronounced leggy instead of lieutenant? Not only do many English words contain silent letters, but there are also several rules and patterns that have numerous exceptions. The rare Old French variant spelling leuf for Modern French lieu ('place') supports the suggestion that a final [u] of the Old French word was in certain environments perceived as an [f]. All replies must be a genuine effort to answer the question helpfully; joke answers are not allowed. The usual role of a lieutenant is to carry out administrative duties and assist precinct commanders (normally a Captain, or sometimes the local police chiefs). Regardless, zee made its way to the British colonies in North America. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Why do Americans pronounce lieutenant differently? Who sings the song in the new Facebook commercial. A single silver or subdued pip is used to designate this rank. La Reynie was the deputy for policing duties of the Provost of Paris, the ceremonial representative of the King in Paris. Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (Mit), Missouri University Of Science And Technology, State University Of New York Health Science Center At Brooklyn, Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry, The University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio, The University Of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University Of Texas Medical Branch At Galveston, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Uniformed Services University Of The Health Sciences, University At Buffalo Suny School Of Engineering And Applied Sciences, University Of California, Los Angeles (Ucla), University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, University Of Maryland Baltimore County (Umbc), University Of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, University Of Tennessee Health Science Center, University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.