I always suspected--and I have never seen anything to back this up--that this pronunciation was adopted because "lootenant", as the Americans pronounce it, sounds like "Loo-tenant," i.e., "individual occupying the loo (toilet)." As nouns the difference between lieutenant and leftenant. 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. The English spelling also changed, and the pronunciation was shortened to two syllables. 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. The British rank is "lieutenant" and is spelled the same as. Reference questions answered here. British English. Therefore, the term leftenant developed. It can detect misspelled words (yes, even those with unusual spelling) and incorrect grammar. But how did this word (and its weird pronunciation) come to be? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant#Pronunciation. (Examples : lieutenant governor, police lieutenant, lieutenant general. In Portugal, sub-lieutenant is the rank of a junior naval officer graduated from a civil university or promoted from a NCO rank, while the equivalent rank of an officer graduated in the naval academy is designated midshipman. Many people say us but if they are writing will use the word me. in lieu of); and tenant meaning "holding" as in "holding a position"; thus a "lieutenant" is a placeholder for a superior, during their absence (compare the Latin locum tenens). Flight lieutenant(Royal Australian Air Force). 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According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. Why exactly do the British say lieutenant as 'leftenant'? Is Bosnia a developing or developed country? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Is leftenant and lieutenant the same? Why do Canadians say lieutenant? I initially thought it was a different thing but Americans and brits in this show Im watching pronounce it differently when talking about the same person. 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. Bloody. Why do British pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? 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. According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. Leftenant is the British pronunciation, lieutenant is the American pronunciation. Conventionally, armies and other services or branches that use army-style rank titles have two grades of lieutenant, but a few also use a third, more junior, rank. Confusion sometimes arises because, in the U.S., the word is routinely said "lootenant" (or sometimes "lyootenant"), while in the United Kingdom and other countries of the British Commonwealth the preferred pronunciation is "leftenant." the American rank. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. Because the word clerk was pronounced with (r) rather than (r) in the south of England, the vowels in the word did not become (r). It is spelled 'lieutenant' and it is pronounced as 'leftenant'. "Lootenant". A few of them are: Its understandable why these words cause so much confusion. It is pronounced "loo-tenant". In short, English borrowed the word from French, which borrowed it from Italian. Lieu means place and tenant means holding. The lieu in this word means place (think of in lieu of), and the tenant means holding, like holding a position. The two parts together referred to a placeholder for a superior. Today, the words definition and pronunciation differs depending on the country (and its military). Why do we say O instead of zero? To the man referencing Websters English dictionary, do yourself a favor and pick up an Oxford English Dictionary. "The Brits are weird" jon, cambria, United . How do you start a conversation with a stranger? [98] The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (founded 1871) had the rank of lieutenant between staff sergeant and inspector until 1997. Yes, it is. . The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". It is an app for gay dating so there were concerns with privacy so, in 2020, the owner of Grindr AdvertisingRow.com - Home of online Advertising Inspiration & Ideas, AdvertisingRow.com | Home of Advertising Professionals, Advertising news, Infographics, Job offers. Glossophilia..just love its diversity and humour ! 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. is lieutenant pronounced lieutenant or leftenant? : r/NoStupidQuestions It's understandable why these words cause so much confusion. How do I enable in-stream ads on Facebook? Have some class. William Franklin, Brighton, UK. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. I'm not sure which way other English speaking countries go. What rank is leftenant? Additionally, it can also provide synonyms and suggest formatting improvements. In the film clip, Keeley Hawes appears to be playing the Prime Minister, whose bodyguard addresses her as maam with the reduced vowel. Lieutenant also has more than one abbreviation, and it varies based on the nation and military branch. Why is lieutenant pronounced leftenant? Explained by FAQ Blog Learn More 17 Anonymous 2 y Related Like I said I have actually nothing at all to back this up, it's a wild stab in the dark I came up with because I've wondered the same thing for years and could never find any information about it. Join ourAdvertisingCommunity and share you ideas today ! The lower ranked soldier on the left protected the senior officers left side. The leftenant is left(tenant, English) in tenancy of the platoon, in lieu(tenant, French) of the captain. The rank was used as the entry level officer rank for the Ordnance Department and the Corps of Artillery until March 1821. The latter if you're British. Yes, it is. Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant leftenant? 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. Why do the English say leftenant instead of lieutenant? - Wise-Answer Above him in those U.S. services comes a first lieutenantlieutenant in the British Armyand then a captain. On submarines and smaller Coast Guard cutters the billet of first lieutenant may be filled by a petty officer. The word, lieutenant is a French word, as are most military ranks. Lieutenant, Leutnant or Leftenant? - narkive Why is the French word lieutenant pronounced leggy instead of lieutenant? is that lieutenant is (military) the lowest commissioned officer rank or ranks in many military forces while leftenant is an archaic spelling of lieutenant. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. [citation needed], Pronunciation of lieutenant as /lftnnt/ (listen) lef-TEN-nt is generally associated with the armies of British Commonwealth countries and the Republic of Ireland, while /lutnnt/ (listen) loo-TEN-nt is generally associated with the United States military. why is lieutenant pronounced leftenantrobert downey jr house malibu. They drop the f and say le-tenant.. Who is the birthday girl in the Skyrizi commercial? The rank of Lieutenant was formerly used in areas outside of the Metropolitan Police. It also falls in the same category as Colonel, pronounced kernel. In Canada, the representative of the Canadian monarch in each province is called the Lieutenant Governor. Press J to jump to the feed. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 18 3 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. John. As a given-name, St. The post of first lieutenant in a shore establishment carries a similar responsibility to the first lieutenant of a capital ship. Whats the correct way to say zebra? Why do Canadians pronounce 'Lieutenant' as 'Leftenant,' and - Quora The Lieutenant Governor exercises all the royal prerogative powers that the monarch holds. A lieutenant is a Junior Officer at DoD paygrade O-3, with a starting monthly pay of $4,637. Colonel came to English from the mid-16th-century French word coronelle, meaning commander of a regiment, or column, of soldiers. Second lieutenant is usually the most junior grade of commissioned officer. 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. This leads to many spelling errors and online searches as to how to spell certain words. In smaller police departments, they may command a precinct itself. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. brandon miller real estate developer net worth red carpet inn corporate office phone number supermarkets manchester city centre shaker heights country club fireworks . The weird way they spoke filtered down to the lower classes. Why is lieutenant pronounced leftenant? - Answers As a German, the th was difficult for him to pronounce and he pronounced it as Tems. Who sings the song in the new Facebook commercial. How do Brits pronounce it? The lower ranked soldier on the left protected the senior officers left side. Its pronounced like how Americans would say it. But, then youre in danger of forgetting how to say it in American-English. When Edmund isn't working or speaking, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. In the US however, the word is pronounced as 'Lew-tenant', much to British distaste. Us for me is common in the north east (of England) particularly Co Durham Land of Prince Bishops. How Many Classes The Article Are Divided Into In English? Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. What is the difference between a lieutenant and a lieu? 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). US-American English, Your browser does not support the audio element. The lower ranked soldier on the "left" protected the senior officers left side. In the army it is pronounced as leftenant, but in navy they use lootenant. How do you spell luitenent? Why is lieutenant pronounced "left-tenant'? : r/AustralianMilitary 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. No response from any American on this page has earned such a bitter rebuke. Lets and lets are homophones, meaning theyre pronounced the same but have different meanings. 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. 3 yr. ago. Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organisations with a codified command structure. Its thought that zee was last used in England during the late 17th century; however, usage is difficult to trace, because pronunciations for letters were not often written down. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In the mid-17th century, spelling it with L became the standard, but it was still pronounced with an R. This long and winding history of this word led to its unusual spelling and pronunciation. Well thanks for that gem, Einstein. 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. Lieutenant is the 18th rank in the United States Navy , ranking above Lieutenant Junior Grade and directly below Lieutenant Commander. 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. Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? - Kyoto2.org Why is 'lieutenant' pronounced as 'leftenant' ? : answers In countries that do not speak English, the rank title usually translates as "lieutenant", but may also translate as "first lieutenant" or "senior lieutenant". The insignia of an additional half-thickness stripe between the two full stripes of a lieutenant was introduced in 1877 for a Royal Navy lieutenant of 8 years seniority, and used for lieutenant commanders upon introduction of their rank.[93]. Think of LanguageTool as the colonel of all text editors. In 1995, the rank of lieutenant was introduced in the National Police as the first rank of the police officers scale. Therefore, the term leftenant developed. Look up . This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. "Because it's the correct pronunciation.". [96] Because of the time required to fully establish this organization the rank continued for some time afterwards; the first Coast Guard aviator, Elmer F. Stone, was a third lieutenant until 1918.[97]. This historical remnant caused increasing confusion in multi-national operations and was abolished. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. [citation needed]. Leftenant is the U.K. and Commonwealth . Anglophones have difficulty pronouncing it as the French do so it drifts either to "lettenant" or "lootenant." Both pronunciations existed in Britain and its colonies prior to the American Revolution. Even later, when the Americans cuddled up to the French during the revolutionary war, their pronunciation changed to follow the french term. In the 19th century, British writers who considered this word either an imposition on the English language, or difficult for common soldiers and sailors, argued for it to be replaced by the calque "steadholder".