Date: Sat, 7 Jan 1995 09:12:00 EST

From: "Dennis.Preston" 22709MGR[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MSU.EDU

Subject: Euphonizing (?) proper names



I have no name for these nominal euphemisms, but I published a short note on

the rise of the Uranus (YOURunus) pronunication over the (yourANus) form, for

obvious reasons, in American Speech. I also recall that in a W.C. Fields film,

I forgot which, he is Mr. Souse, but insists on its being pronounced sooSAY

(again, for obvious reasons). Recall, too, that is argued (by Jespersen, I

believe) that the drink-drank-drunk conjugation is leveled to

drink-drank-drank to avoid the drunk form.

Dennis Preston

22709mgr[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]msu.edu