Why is Lieutenant pronounced leftenant?
Lieutenant and its cousin Colonel go back through a long history. The French took the Latin words Locum Tenens (meaning in place of) and substituted their translation Lieu Tenant (meaning in place of). When it was later printed in England it was pronounced Leftenant. It traveled that way as the Brits colonized.
How is Lieutenant pronounced in Canada?
Pronunciation. The British pronunciation of the French word “lieutenant” (as “lef-tenant”) is the official pronunciation as used by the Canadian Armed Forces, but the American pronunciation of “loo-tenant” (which is closer to the original French pronunciation) is sometimes heard outside of the military.
How do you pronounce lieutenant in America?
Is Lieutenant pronounced with an F?
If you’re not up to speed with your old-colonial vernacular, here’s the deal: Canadian English dictates the word “lieutenant” be pronounced lefttenant, rather than lootenant. Linguists explain that the “f” is a relic of the country’s British imperial history, while the alternate pronunciation comes from the U.S.