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Show JUST TAKE MY WORD y Frank Colby ' Triphibious la curious and illegitimate coinags that sprang up during World War U. It Is an adjective used In the meaning of "capable of operating on land, on water and In the air," as, triphibious tri-phibious attack, triphibious warfare. war-fare. Triphibious was coined In imitation imita-tion of amphibious, apparently under the erroneous assumption that amphibious Is formed from am- plus -phibioua. But amphibious is from amphi-, "both kinds," plus bios, "life." Trlphibtan and triphibious tri-phibious are listed In Funk and Wagnalls New College Standard (1947), and Webster's New Collegiate Col-legiate (l4t), and the derivation la given aa trlu"three," plus amphibian, am-phibian, tri, plus emphibloua Taken literally, then, the words mean J'three both kinds (of) life.1 which is worse than nonsense. But, apparently, the words are here to stay. They do serve a useful use-ful purpose, despite the addled etymology. Triphibian Is: try-FTB-ee-un; triphibious Is: try-FIB-ee-us. The word aalth, the archaic or Biblical form of says, la often given a two-syllable pronunciation, aa "say-eth." It is not uncommon to hear "say-eth" from tits pulpit or elsewhere in religious use. It is dialectal. 8aith should be pronounced pro-nounced exactly like the name Seth, to rhyme with breath and death. In the middle west. In those sections sec-tions where -the population la largely of German descent, it Is not uncommon to hear the word says pronounced to rhyme with days, pays. Ths correct pronunciation pronuncia-tion is: sea, to rhyme with fes. There Is no "mat" In ultimatum. Also, do not try to give the word a Latin pronunciation, as a network net-work newscaster does in saying "OOL-tee-MAH-toom." Ultimatum has been English for a very long time. The recommended pronunciation pronuncia-tion Is: ULL-H-MAY'tum. Overheard on a book review program: pro-gram: "She is a devotee of TERP-si-kswr." The word used Is the name Terpsichore, In Greek mythology the Muse of dancing and choral song. "Devotee of Terpsichore" Terp-sichore" is a pretty sad cliche for designating one who la fond of dancing. But If It must be used, Terpsichore should be pronounced: terp-SICK-uh-ree. There is no "gash" In sagacious. Not "suh-OASH-use." The word means "shrewd; farsighted; having hav-ing keen Judgment" Be sure to say: suh-GAT-shuss. But not that In ths noun sagacity, the second "a" Is flat as m gas, thus: suh-OABS-i-teo. |