this post was submitted on 20 Nov 2024
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And why is the W silent anyways?

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[–] [email protected] 34 points 8 hours ago (4 children)

Curiously in words related to 'two' the W is often pronounced!

Twin, Twixt, Between, Twelve etc

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 hours ago

The last time I was with a woman it was actually twoo, it was quite magical, I tell ya.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Side question?

Does twelve basically mean two eleven?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Twelve's root is in meaning "two left". And similarly eleven's origin is meaning "one left". In both cases left over from ten, the base unit of counting.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Interesting. This sorta makes sense actually.

Curious though, do you have a reference link?

[–] [email protected] 23 points 8 hours ago

Oh. My. God. I am so disappointed in myself that I never realized these words were all related before. Thank you for this gift.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 hours ago (4 children)

By the argument, is the w in "two" actually silent? What would it sounds like when pronounced? I think it would sound like "two" already does.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 hours ago

I wonder if perhaps an older dialect used to pronounce the W. Lots of words have changed spelling or pronunciation over the years, so I'm curious if that might be the case with "two", too.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

It would sound like “twu” as in “twu wuv”

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 hours ago

Lol.

OK, Impressive Clergyman!

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 hours ago

It sounds exactly like "to" which means the w is silent.

It is not pronounced at all like any of the other example words given.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I don't necessarily think so. If the W was pronounced, I think it would sound something more like 'tawoo' or 'teewoo'

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 hours ago

Spell out that thang!