Margarine

[nq:1]Anybody know why this is pronounced with a soft g rather than a hard g?Are there any other common English words in which "ga" is a soft g?[/nq]
I believe that it always used to be pronounced with a hard g, and then it was popularly abbreviated to marge (soft g) and the soft g was transferred back to the long form. I still hear the hard g pronunciation from time to time.
Regards,

[nq:2]Anybody know why this is pronounced with a soft g ... other common English words in which "ga" is asoft g?[/nq]
[nq:1]I believe that it always used to be pronounced with a hard g, and then it was popularly abbreviated to marge (soft g) and the soft g was transferred back to the long form. I still hear the hard g pronunciation from time to time.[/nq]
Why didn't I think of that? It sur

I have a vague recollection of someone saying that it should be pronounced with a hard g in winter, and a soft g in summer.

Probably ***** Craddock.
Fran

[nq:2]Are I believe that it always used to be pronounced ... still hear the hard g pronunciation from time to time.[/nq]
[nq:1]I have a vague recollection of someone saying that it should be pronounced with a hard g in winter, and a soft g in summer.[/nq]
I thought maybe the soft g happened when they put stuff into margarine to keep it soft even when cold.

dg (domain=ccwebster)

[nq:2]I believe that it always used to be pronounced with ... still hear the hard g pronunciation from time to time.[/nq]
[nq:1]Why didn't I think of that? It surely must be what happened. But Ray Wise is our expert on the language of bread-spreads, and will, I trust, be along any moment with the dinkum drum.[/nq]
I have my doubts. For one, I've never heard it called "marg". Secondly, M-W

[nq:2]Why didn't I think of that? It surely must be ... I trust, be along any moment with the dinkum drum.[/nq]
[nq:1]I have my doubts. For one, I've never heard it called "marg".[/nq]
"Marge" is BrE. The only American nickname I know of is "oleo" which is obsolete.
[nq:1]Secondly, M-W gives the etymology as being from French, which tends to indicate it a soft 'g' all along.[/nq]
I

[nq:2]I have a vague recollection of someone saying that it should be pronounced with a hard g in winter, and a soft g in summer.[/nq]
[nq:1]I thought maybe the soft g happened when they put stuff into margarine to keep it soft even when cold.[/nq]
And to keep it hard even when warm (this is getting a little...)

[nq:1]g? it transferred to[/nq]
[nq:2]I thought maybe the soft g happened when they put stuff into margarine to keep it soft even when cold.[/nq]
[nq:1]And to keep it hard even when warm (this is getting a little...)[/nq]
Remember when you had to mix in the yellow coloring that came with the package?

dg (domain=ccwebster)

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}> > I thought maybe the soft g happened when they put stuff into }> > margarine to keep it soft even when cold.
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}> And to keep it hard even when warm (this is getting a little...) }
} Remember when you had to mix in the yellow coloring that came } with the package?
Say, what ever happen

[nq:1]Anybody know why this is pronounced with a soft g rather than a hard g? Are there any other common English words in which "ga" is a soft g?[/nq]
When I was last in Britain I heard it pronounced with a hard g in TV advertisements.
I don't know if any real people pronounced it that way, though.

Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa