I don't really care about the actual reason anymore, i'm going to remember this one . In the US however, the word is pronounced as 'Lew-tenant', much to British distaste. Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant leftenant? The lower ranked soldier on the left protected the senior officers left side. Why do we say O instead of zero? The British and others pronounce z, zed, owing to the origin of the letter z, the Greek letter Zeta. Officers serving in staff or command posts are awarded the "brevet" rank of captain, these officers then revert to their lieutenancy after having completed their tour of duty. Leftenant is the U.K. and Commonwealth . By the mid-17th century, the spelling and French pronunciation had changed to colonnel. It is in the sense of a deputy that it has entered into the titles of more senior officers, lieutenant general and lieutenant colonel. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. In the case of lieutenant even the English themselves dont agree. Glossophilia. Yes, it is. In Royal Naval (RN) traditionand other English-speaking navies outside the United Statesa reduced pronunciation /ltnnt/ (listen) is used. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary shows both pronunciations. (Examples : lieutenant governor, police lieutenant, lieutenant general. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. As nouns the difference between lieutenant and leftenant is that lieutenant is (military) the lowest commissioned officer rank or ranks in many military forces while leftenant is an archaic spelling of lieutenant. Why do the English say leftenant instead of lieutenant? - Wise-Answer Havent you got a chat show you can go off and whoop woo at or something? Tel McCormack, Rochdale, UK, Because thats what it should be called. The lower ranked soldier on the "left" protected the senior officers left side. Thank the British for our language and New York, else we would be speaking Dutch in New Amsterdam (or however the Dutch spell it). Mat, Parma U.S. I dont really know but I love the way the British pronounce certain words, such as schedule, it sounds so much more proper. Nanette Y. Mitchell, Fredericksburg, US, P.S. No idea whether any of this is true, just telling you what I have heard and from whom I heard it. The first French Lieutenant of Police, Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie, was appointed in Paris by Louis XIV on 15 March 1667 to command a reformed police force. 38 Sponsored by Forbes Advisor Are You Prepared for Your Pet Health Emergencies? In the US Navy, the rank was called master until 1883, when it was renamed lieutenant, junior grade. Impress with clear, precise, and stylistically flawless writing instead. Bloody. Why keep.The French part, tenant, then? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. La Reynie was the deputy for policing duties of the Provost of Paris, the ceremonial representative of the King in Paris. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Well thanks for that gem, Einstein. The USN settled on "lieutenant commander" in 1862, and made it a distinct rank; the Royal Navy followed suit in March 1914. Why Do The British Say Leftenant? - CLJ In the Finnish military there is a senior lieutenant grade that ranks above lieutenant and second lieutenant but below captain; it does not have an English equivalent. Having said that, British people do sometimes use it when expressing anger. According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. ", "tat des Lieux: Formation des forces de dfense et de scurit sur les droit de l'enfant au Niger", "Pakistan Army Ranks with Salary and Insignia", " 11 2010 293 " , ", "Gradabzeichen und Farben der Achselschlaufen", " ", "Journal officiel de la rpublique togolaise", "Tonga Defence Services (Amendment) Regulations 2009", "TRKMENISTANY KANUNY Harby borlulyk we harby gulluk hakynda (Trkmenistany Mejlisini Maglumatlary 2010 ., 3, 58-nji madda) (Trkmenistany 01.10.2011 . Good luck, This one is amazing. Therefore, the term leftenant developed. :) , To read the more informative answers (including ahypothesis offered by Sean from Colorado that in British slang, of which he observes there is a great deal, the word, refers to a toilet, and therefore he assumesthat they do not want to give the impression that a leftenant is a resident of a toilet, as in loo-tenant), read the full piece at. A number of city and burgh police forces in Scotland used the rank of lieutenant (and detective lieutenant) between inspector and superintendent from 1812 to 1948. Above him in those U.S. services comes a first lieutenantlieutenant in the British Armyand then a captain. The rank insignia of LTA is two pips.[99]. This is not recognised as current by recent editions of the OED (although the RN pronunciation was included in editions of OED up until the 1970s). Therefore, the term leftenant developed. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. In the US, zebra is pronounced as zee-bruh, so with a long e. Colonel came to English from the mid-16th-century French word coronelle, meaning commander of a regiment, or column, of soldiers. Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organisations with a codified command structure. How do you start a conversation with a stranger? Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The emergence of the pronunciation /ref/ seems clearly connected with the Great Vowel Shift, since it is around this time that people in Southern and Central England start interchangeably spelling their names both Ralph and Rafe. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often subdivided into senior (first lieutenant) and junior (second lieutenant and even third lieutenant) ranks. Why exactly do the British say lieutenant as 'leftenant'? An example of an exception is the United States, whose armed forces distinguish their lieutenant ranks with a silver bar for first lieutenant and brass bar for second lieutenant. It's just dialect. In Australia, Queensland's first police force (founded 1864) had second lieutenants and lieutenants between the ranks of sergeant and inspector-general. Why do British people say Zed? This historical remnant caused increasing confusion in multi-national operations and was abolished. I always suspected--and I have never seen anything to back this up--that this pronunciation was adopted because "lootenant", as the Americans pronounce it, sounds like "Loo-tenant," i.e., "individual occupying the loo (toilet)." Leftenant in the British army, Lootenant in the American army. a person appointed to carry out a task). Even later, when the Americans cuddled up to the French during the revolutionary war, their pronunciation changed to follow the french term. Leftenant is the British pronunciation, lieutenant is the American pronunciation. Colonel came to English from the mid-16th-century French word coronelle, meaning commander of a regiment, or column, of soldiers. The rank of Lieutenant was formerly used in areas outside of the Metropolitan Police. Why do Brits pronounce Lieutenant as leftenant? The pronunciation of zebra in English varies between British English and American English. . How Many Classes The Article Are Divided Into In English? For more information, please see our The Royal Air Force also has an acting pilot officer designation, the most junior commissioned rank in the British armed forces. Therefore, the term leftenant developed. In the 17th century, the term "lieutenant" corresponded to "deputy" (i.e. The rank insignia of CLT is a pip and a bar below it. 'Lieutenant' comes from French lieu ('place') and tenant ('holding'). Armchair linguists on both sides of the Atlantic offered up various answers and suggestions: here's a selection for your interest and entertainment . "Leftenant" would then be easier to pronounce than "levtenant." hurricanelantern 9 yr. ago "Lieu" means place and "tenant" means holding. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. In countries that do not speak English, the rank title usually translates as "lieutenant", but may also translate as "first lieutenant" or "senior lieutenant". The first L in the original Italian word colonello was changed to an R by the French. Why is "lieutenant" pronounced "Leftenant" not "lootenant"? - reddit 4 : a commissioned officer in the navy or coast guard ranking above a lieutenant junior grade. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Lieutenant is the 18th rank in the United States Navy , ranking above Lieutenant Junior Grade and directly below Lieutenant Commander. Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? - Profound-Advice 3 yr. ago. In the US Air Force, the Third Lieutenant Program refers specifically to a training program at active duty air force bases for cadets of the Air Force Academy and Air Force ROTC the summer before their fourth and final year before graduation and commissioning. it's not. Because thats the word. Your browser does not support the audio element. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for the governor when they are absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated. is that lieutenant is (military) the lowest commissioned officer rank or ranks in many military forces while leftenant is an archaic spelling of lieutenant. Who is the birthday girl in the Skyrizi commercial? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant#Pronunciation. It stuck, to avoid embarrassing him. Why is lieutenant pronounced "leftenant" in British English? Its thought that zee was last used in England during the late 17th century; however, usage is difficult to trace, because pronunciations for letters were not often written down. [3] The majority of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century sources show pronunciations with /v/ or /f/, but Bullokar has /liu/.[4]. Notably, the United States Revenue Cutter Service used a simple officer rank structure with Captain, First, Second and Third Lieutenants, each of whom had distinct insignia. Maintenance is one of those English words that many people find difficult to spell. It can detect misspelled words (yes, even those with unusual spelling) and incorrect grammar. For more information, please see our These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The English spelling also changed, and the pronunciation was shortened to two syllables. Conventionally, armies and other services or branches that use army-style rank titles have two grades of lieutenant, but a few also use a third, more junior, rank. As Wdnesdg moved from Old English to Middle English, its spelling changed. In England (and her colonies, except for America of course) it is pronounced "leftentant" because it is bastardization of the French pronunciation, which has that ever-so-French, back of the mouth, oooggff sound at the end of the first syllable. Go well beyond grammar and spell checking. The leftenant is left(tenant, English) in tenancy of the platoon, in lieu(tenant, French) of the captain. Anglophones have difficulty pronouncing it as the French do so it drifts either to "lettenant" or "lootenant." Both pronunciations existed in Britain and its colonies prior to the American Revolution. Why do Canadians pronounce 'Lieutenant' as 'Leftenant,' and - Quora Its pronounced like how Americans would say it. The typical rank insignia for a lieutenant is a single silver bar (like that of an Army or Marine Corps First Lieutenant) or a single gold bar (like that of an Army or Marine Corps Second Lieutenant). In England (and her colonies, except for America of course) it is pronounced "leftentant" because it is bastardization of the French pronunciation, which has that ever-so-French, back of the mouth, oooggff sound at the end of the first syllable. On submarines and smaller Coast Guard cutters the billet of first lieutenant may be filled by a petty officer. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The insignia of an additional half-thickness stripe between the two full stripes of a lieutenant was introduced in 1877 for a Royal Navy lieutenant of 8 years seniority, and used for lieutenant commanders upon introduction of their rank.[93]. When asked what hes looking for inland, he said Dar be treasure. Why is lieutenant pronounced "left-tenant'? : r/AustralianMilitary major, a military rank standing above captain. Flight lieutenant(Royal Australian Air Force). and our Why is lieutenant pronounced leftenant? Explained by FAQ Blog Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant with an F? At the same time the term 'Leftenant' is sometimes used (albeit. Why do Brits pronounce clerk as Clark? How do you spell luitenent? So a Lieutenant is someone who holds a place or functions as a deputy of a superior. The word, lieutenant is a French word, as are most military ranks. The weird way they spoke filtered down to the lower classes. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It was replaced by the rank of chief inspector. Have some class. William Franklin, Brighton, UK. Leftenant in the British army, Lootenant in the American army. Colonel confuses people because its pronounced like kernel /krnl/, but theres no R in it. The word lieutenant derives from French; the lieu meaning "place" as in a position (cf. These are surely not the only words that arent spelled the way theyre pronounced. Although lieutenants are no longer numbered by seniority, the post of "first lieutenant" remains. in lieu of); and tenant meaning "holding" as in "holding a position"; thus a "lieutenant" is a placeholder for a superior, during their absence (compare the Latin locum tenens). You have entered an incorrect email address! How do I enable in-stream ads on Facebook? [3] Furthermore, in Latin, the lingua franca of the era, the letter v is used for both u and v. It is functionally equivalent to third lieutenant. What Does Crossing The Burning Sands Mean? This word means commissioned officer of high rank in the military. Simply by the way it looks, its easy to see why some people would think its pronounced co-lo-nel. When Edmund isn't working or speaking, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Why do British pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? Why and when did 'I will' replace 'I shall' in British English? By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. For example: Lieutenant (commissioned officer in the armed forces, police, or other organization) is also derived from French. Where more junior officers were employed as deputies to the lieutenant, they went by many names, including second lieutenant, sub-lieutenant, ensign and cornet. The rare Old French variant spelling leuf for Modern French lieu ('place') supports the suggestion that a final [u] of the Old French word was in certain environments perceived as an [f]. But, then youre in danger of forgetting how to say it in American-English. Additionally, it can also provide synonyms and suggest formatting improvements. What is the meaning of the French word lieu? How do you pronounce lieutenant in English? In short, English borrowed the word from French, which borrowed it from Italian. By the mid-17th century, the spelling and French pronunciation had changed to colonnel. It was spelled both clark and clerk. There is great variation in the insignia used worldwide. In navies, it is often equivalent to the army rank of captain; it may also indicate a particular post rather than a rank. . The first lieutenant in the Royal Navy and other Commonwealth navies, is a post or appointment, rather than a rank. ELI5:Why is Lieutenant pronounced "Leftenant" by british people?