Here's Kiribati's very beautiful flag:
Well, that means I've been pronouncing Kiribati wrong all my life, but, hey, the ti in attention is pronounced sh, after all.
Just to be certain (the speakers on our flat-screen TV aren't very good) I looked up Kiribati on Wikipedia.
The first pronunciation Wikipedia gives is kiribess and the second kiribartee.
Does this mean I can carry on with saying kiribartee without people sniffing contemptuously and pulling their skirts aside whenever I enter a room?
Well, I consulted a third authority, my trusty Collins dictionary. And what did I find?
A choice between kiribass and kiribattee.
So what could I do? Use the original name of The Gilbert Islands and risk being thought colonialist?
No, I decided to consult a real expert.
The Kiribati Government website offers no opinion, but, ah, the tourist board says you pronounce the name kiribas, so that must be right.
Kiribas...
...er...
...do you say that kiribaz? Kiribass? Kiribars? Kiribarss?
...anybody...
...?
Word Probably Not To Use Today: Kiribati. This word is the Gilbertese pronunciation of Gilberts. The name was adopted at independence.
Sorry you were disappointed, Tamir. The post was intended to be lighthearted, while giving an example of the serious problem that English orthography is eccentric and sometimes unpredictable. And, to be fair, I did seriously try to discover the answer to my question! Hope you have a very happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteNot sure why you are sending me details of an Indonesian Gambling Site, Monica, but bagaimanapun, terima kasih: thank you, anyway.
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