Still on American pronounciation

[nq:1]De-lurking to ask something that has been worrying me for ages. How long, and why, if anyone knows, have some Americans been saying 'erbs' for herbs?[/nq]
I understand taht this was the original pronunciation. "Language colonies" often retain vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar forms taht have died out in the "mother country", e.g. "tea" is pronounced "tay" in many parts of Ireland - t

[nq:2]De-lurking to ask something that has been worrying me for ages. How long, and why, if anyone knows, have some Americans been saying'erbs' for herbs?[/nq]
[nq:1]I understand taht this was the original pronunciation. "Language colonies" often retain vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar forms taht have died ... - this was the standard pronunciation in the 18th century, as can be seen from

[nq:1]'erbs'[/nq]
[nq:2]I understand taht this was the original pronunciation. "Language colonies" ... as can be seen from rhymes in 18th century poetry.[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, the root is 'erby' but I can't recall hearing it on TV or radio programmes until quite recently. Has ... must have been listening to the wrong programmes. It might also explain 'route' as in our 'root', and their 'rout'.[/

[nq:1]Americans seem to struggle with words from the French. The word forte is often heard as "for-tay" which as listed as a variant, but probably because Americans with high school French think that "fort" cannot possibly be the proper pronunciation.[/nq]
In musical terminology, "forte" is always (in the UK at any rate) pronounced "for-tay" (1), but in that context is derives from Italian rat

[nq:2]'erbs' Yes, the root is 'erby' but I can't recall ... might alsoexplain 'route' as in our 'root', and their 'rout'.[/nq]
[nq:1]In my youth, I heard and pronounced it with the aspirated h. Later, I adopted the 'erb pronunciation, as it ... text dialect as yarb. I've never actuallyheard that usage, but I imagine a short, barely aspirated h before the y.[/nq]
Okay, I see the trend now.

[nq:1]Americans seem to struggle with words from the French. The word forte is often heard as "for-tay" which as listed as a variant, but probably because Americans with high school French think that "fort" cannot possibly be the proper pronunciation.[/nq]
And don't they tend to stress the second syllable (ca-FE) instead of the first (CA-fe)? Why is this?
-Luke

[nq:1]And don't they tend to stress the second syllable (ca-FE) instead of the first (CA-fe)? Why is this?[/nq]
Because there is often a diacritical mark over the 'e', indicating that the stress should be placed there.
In my childhood idiolect, the correct pronunciation of 'cafe' was 'caff'. Yours may differ, as may those of others in different ways from yours and mine.
Giles.

[nq:2]Americans seem to struggle with words from the French. The ... French think that "fort" cannot possibly be the proper pronunciation.[/nq]
[nq:1]In musical terminology, "forte" is always (in the UK at any rate)pronounced "for-tay" (1), but in that context is derives ... whereas the masculine "fort" is pronounced more like the English "fore". (1) I supposed really something between "fot-ta

[nq:2]There also is a backwater (I learned not to say ... I imagine a short, barely aspirated h before the y.[/nq]
[nq:1]Okay, I see the trend now. Incidentally, my husband has accused me ofbeing 'cloth-eared'[/nq]
Here we would say you have a tin ear.
[nq:1]and get myself out and talk to my neighbours. I did. Everyone I spoke to says 'erbs!' But there again, I commonly hear - or rathe

[nq:2]Americans seem to struggle with words from the French. The ... school French think that "fort" cannot possibly bethe proper pronunciation.[/nq]
[nq:1]And don't they tend to stress the second syllable (ca-FE) instead of the first (CA-fe)? Why is this?[/nq]
Yoiks. I have no idea, since I do the same thing!