Why do Brits pronounce Lieutenant as leftenant?

Why do Brits pronounce Lieutenant as leftenant?

According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. 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. Therefore, the term leftenant developed.

Is Lieutenant pronounced leftenant?

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. Leftenant is the U.K. and Commonwealth pronunciation. USA pronunciation of the same rank is LOOtenant.

How does the Royal Navy pronounce lieutenant?

le-tenant
No one can really say why in the British Army the word is pronounced “left-tenant” but it’s notable that in the Royal Navy the pronunciation seems half way across the ocean. They drop the “f” and say “le-tenant.”

Is Canada a lieutenant or leftenant?

If you’re not up to speed with your old-colonial vernacular, here’s the deal: Canadian English dictates the word “lieutenant” be pronounced lefttenant, rather than lootenant. Linguists explain that the “f” is a relic of the country’s British imperial history, while the alternate pronunciation comes from the U.S.

What is a British lieutenant?

Lieutenant (UK: /lɛfˈtɛnənt/; Lt) is a junior officer rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above second lieutenant and below captain and has a NATO ranking code of OF-1 and it is the senior subaltern rank.

What is the American pronunciation lieutenant?

Lieutenant-Commander, Flag Lieutenant, the pronunciation is always [letenənt] or something along that line — not quite the [lu–] or [[l’u–] of the United States but certainly a lot more like the American pronunciation without the [f] than the Army pronunciation with it.

How do you say lieutenant in Canada?

Pronunciation. 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.

How do you pronounce lieutenant in the Royal Navy?

No one can really say why in the British Army the word is pronounced “left-tenant” but it’s notable that in the Royal Navy the pronunciation seems half way across the ocean. They drop the “f” and say “le-tenant.”

What is a lieutenant in the British navy?

The first lieutenant (1st Lt or 1LT) in the Royal Navy and other Commonwealth navies, is a post or appointment, rather than a rank. Historically, the lieutenants in a ship were ranked in accordance with seniority, with the most senior being termed the first lieutenant and acting as the second-in-command.

Why is Ralph pronounced Rafe in England?

However, some Ralphs in the UK, like the actor Ralph Fiennes and the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, have pronounced their name as if it were spelled “Rafe.” Words were pronounced as they were spelled in Old English, which was spoken from roughly 450 to 1100. There were no silent letters.

Why is St John pronounced Sinjin in England?

Sinjin is actually an attempt to represent phonetically the now rare name “St. John.” As a given-name, “St. … The name has no ‘meaning’ in and of itself, but its usage is typically in honor of St. John the Baptist or St.