Re: Pronuncing Pittosporum
Deborah Lindsay wrote:
>
> And then there is the great Pittosporum debate, pronounced Pit-TOS-por-um
> by some and Pit-o-SPOR-um by others...depending much on geography I have found.
> Here in the US it seems to be East Coasters who use the latter prununciation and
> West
> Coasters who use the former.I don't know many Mid-Westerners so I've no clue how
> they
> pronounce it:)
Deborah
I must admit I have been using the first pronounciation myself, but your
query made me look closely at the word and this syllabation actually
makes no sense for a basically Latin word. If, however, you divide it in
the second way you get "sporum " as the ending, which is certainly
scientific Latin and obviously refers to some characteristic of the seed
formation.
I must make an effort to change my ways!
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata,
New Zealand (astride the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
