Salt Lake Telegram | 1949-10-29 | Page 3 | Just Take My Word

JUST TAKE MY WORD By Frank Colby If you like to crawl into caves and poke around through caverns, you're a spelunker, although you may not have heard or seen the word before. As I previously explained, spe-lunk spe-lunk ia a middle English word meaning "cavern; cave; den." It ia from the Latin spelunca, "a cave," from the Creek spelynx. Spelunk is pronounced: 8PEB lungk, or spee-LUNGK. Spelunker, a once obsolete word, has recently come into American English in the meaning of "a person whose hobby is exploring caves and caverns, but who does so as an amateur." Spelunker is pronounced: SPEE-lungk-er. or, less frequently, spee-LUNGK-er. On the other hand, if you are a scientist, versed in the study of caves and how they ars formed, you are not a spelunker you are a speleologiat, "an expert in the study of caves," pronounced: spee-lee-QLL-uh-jiat. Speleology is the science of studying caves, pronounced: pro-nounced: spee-lee-OLL-uh-jee. How is the name Goethe pronounced? pro-nounced? We've seen the name Goethe in print many times this year, for 1949 is the 200th anniversary anni-versary of Goethe's birth. The German author and poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, was born at Frankfort am Main. The . name Goethe ia sometimes pronounced "GER-tuh." a pronunciation pronun-ciation that ia recommended aa . correct by the NBC speech consultant. con-sultant. But "GER-tuh" ia quite erroneous; no "r" sound occurs in the correct pronunciation. To pronounce the first syllable . of Goethe correctly, puns the lips as if to say "GO." Now, without unpursing the lips, say "GEH." blending the long "o" and the abort "e" into a sound that ia about midway between "get" and "gut" The "th" has the sound of "t." So, letting "OE" stand for tha blend of ldng "o" and short "e." the name ia pronounced: GOE-tuh. Another way of getting the pro-' pro-' nunclation approximately correct is to ase the "u" sound as in the first syllable of gurgle, but without with-out any trace of the sound of "r." It is unfortunate that the vowel i sound of ths first syllable of Goethe does not occur In English, making it impossible to spell tha sound phonetically, or to indicate it by some example word. No one can learn grammar without with-out knowing the eight parts of speech. Mr. Colby's leaflet C-14 explains the parts of speech In simple, nontechnical language. For a copy, send 5 cents in coin and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to him, care of the Salt Lake Tribune-Telegram Home Service Bureau. 8alt Lake Citv 10. Utah.