Thanks again to Garry McKenzie
Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette , Thursday 25 July 1929, page 6
SOCCER OR SOCKER?
An English educational journal asks why the word "soccer'' is used as a contraction of "association," instead of the legitimate "socker." The paper contends that "soccer" is a hideous affront, as much to the intelligence as to the eye, and points out that, whenever C precedes an E, an I, or a, V it has a sibilant S sound, as in civil, centre, cylinder. To this rule there are only two exceptions, in the word sceptic (which the more logical American spells with a K) and the word Celt— often spelt Kelt. In all other portions in a word the letter C has a K sound, as in record and crime. When two C's occur together, both these rules apply; thus we have a K sound only in such words as account, and succulent, where the second C is followed by A, O, or U; but in such words as accent, flaccid and succinct, the second C with a K value. It is contended that it is into this class that the word "soccer" must necessarily be placed.
The interesting thing to draw from this is that maybe soccer should be pronounced "soxer" or "sosher".
I love it when the grammar nazi comes in conflict with sokkahtwitter (should I say soxatwitter?) -- my loyalties are utterly divided. Be interested in what you think.
No comments:
Post a Comment