The Oxford English Dictionary states the pronunciation is "difficult to explain ," but suggests the old French word originally had a "w" sound at the end of the first syllable, and that eventually got confused with an "f" or a "v" and created the British way of saying the word. Questions must have a definitive answer. This comes from Queen Victorias husband, Prince Albert. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Leftenant is the U.K. and Commonwealth . Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant leftenant? Why do British people say Zed? The rank of cadet lieutenant (CLT) is given to officer cadet trainees who have passed their officer's course. Linguists explain that the f is a relic of the countrys British imperial history, while the alternate pronunciation comes from the U.S. For example: Lieutenant (commissioned officer in the armed forces, police, or other organization) is also derived from French. Something may be bloody marvellous or bloody awful. Bloody. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. Why do Americans pronounce lieutenant differently? Before 1999 the Royal Marines enjoyed the same rank structure as the army, but at a grade higher; thus a Royal Marine captain ranked with and was paid the same as a British Army major. 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. According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. As Wdnesdg moved from Old English to Middle English, its spelling changed. Regardless, zee made its way to the British colonies in North America. One word in particular that stands out in English dialects is the word we use for our mothers. Why do British pronounce lieutenant with an F? The British and others pronounce z, zed, owing to the origin of the letter z, the Greek letter Zeta. Why do the English say leftenant instead of lieutenant? - Wise-Answer The pronunciation came about because of the famous British inland pirate. Considering this, Why do British say aluminium? Therefore, the term leftenant developed. 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). What rank is leftenant? No idea whether any of this is true, just telling you what I have heard and from whom I heard it. Some areas of Britain say darbee, some say derbee. So if no-one gives you the real answer, as no-one has been able to give me the real answer, at least you have this speculation. Why do Brits pronounce Lieutenant "Leftenant"? It simply is and that's the most important part of the equation. Why do British pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? So a Lieutenant is someone who "holds a place" or functions as a deputy of a superior. The lower ranked soldier on the left protected the senior officers left side. But when translating Italian military treaties into English, 16th century scholars started spelling it colonel, similarly to how Italians originally spelled it. In most English-speaking and Arabic-speaking countries, as well as a number of European and South American nations, full lieutenants (and equivalents) usually wear two stars (pips) and second lieutenants (and equivalents) one. Its not that neatly divided. The pronunciation came about because of the famous British inland pirate. According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. Americans changed it to fit their own odd version of a perfect language. Sid, Saffron Walden, England, Well, how def yef say leftenant? Mark Dallas, London UK, Because its our language, and we can say it any way we like. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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. Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (Mit), Missouri University Of Science And Technology, State University Of New York Health Science Center At Brooklyn, Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry, The University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio, The University Of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University Of Texas Medical Branch At Galveston, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Uniformed Services University Of The Health Sciences, University At Buffalo Suny School Of Engineering And Applied Sciences, University Of California, Los Angeles (Ucla), University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, University Of Maryland Baltimore County (Umbc), University Of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, University Of Tennessee Health Science Center, University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. mainly in war films and mainly refering to Americans). "Lieu" means place and "tenant" means holding. Well explore what these words mean and provide example sentences. Armchair linguists on both sides of the Atlantic offered up various answers and suggestions: here's a selection for your interest and entertainment . It is spelled 'lieutenant' and it is pronounced as 'leftenant'. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Hear the pronunciation of the word on its own and in example sentences. 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. How do you pronounce lieutenant in English? That's why it's a good idea to use LanguageTool as a writing assistant. Is Bosnia a developing or developed country? It is the lowest field-grade rank. All replies must be a genuine effort to answer the question helpfully; joke answers are not allowed. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Many people say us but if they are writing will use the word me. Therefore, the term leftenant developed. In Germany it is called Oberleutnant (senior lieutenant). By far the most logical, understandable and concise answer Ive ever seen thank you. [2] The early history of the pronunciation is unclear; Middle English spellings suggest that both pronunciations may have existed even then. Why do British people pronounce lieutenant wrong? It is possible that when the English heard the French pronounce the compound word lieutenant, they perceived a slurring which they heard as a "v" or "f" sound between the first and second syllables. In the US however, the word is pronounced as 'Lew-tenant', much to British distaste. By the mid-17th century, the spelling and French pronunciation had changed to colonnel. Why is lieutenant pronounced leftenant? Explained by Sharing Culture Second lieutenant is usually the most junior grade of commissioned officer. In the Royal Navy, the commissioned rank of mate was created in 1840, and was renamed sub-lieutenant in 1860. Lieu means place and tenant means holding. The leftenant is left(tenant, English) in tenancy of the platoon, in lieu(tenant, French) of the captain. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The British typically use mum, and the Americans, mom. What Town Is The Cheapest To Live In New Hampshire. Because the word clerk was pronounced with (r) rather than (r) in the south of England, the vowels in the word did not become (r). lieutenant colonel, lieutenant general, lieutenant commander, flight lieutenant, second lieutenant and many non-English language examples), in both the Old and the New World. It can detect misspelled words (yes, even those with unusual spelling) and incorrect grammar. brandon miller real estate developer net worth red carpet inn corporate office phone number supermarkets manchester city centre shaker heights country club fireworks . In the UK zebra is pronounced as zeh-bruh, with a short e, so without the ee sound. 'Lieutenant' comes from French lieu ('place') and tenant ('holding'). Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organisations with a codified command structure. This leads to many spelling errors and online searches as to how to spell certain words. It is pronounced in the old-fashioned English way, /ref/, so that it rhymes with safe and waif. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Some parts of the British Army, including the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and fusilier regiments, used first lieutenant as well as second lieutenant until the end of the 19th century, and some British Army regiments still preserve cornet as an official alternative to second lieutenant. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. For the bridge, see, United Kingdom and Commonwealth police forces, Report of the Committee of Inquiry on the Police, 1978, " ", "Azrbaycan Respublikas Silahl Qvvlri hrbi qulluqularnn hrbi geyim formas v frqlndirm nianlar haqqnda sasnam", " 21.07.2009 N 388 " , 9 2006 . N 383", Ministry of Defense (Bolivia) [@mindefbolivia], "Conoce la jerarqua de los grados del #Ejrcito", "Akta angkatan bersenjata diraja Brunei (Penggal 149)", " ", "LOI N 037-2016/AN PORTANT CONDITIONS D'AVANCEMENT DES PERSONNELS D'ACTIVE DES FORCES ARMEES NATIONALES", "Loi organique N1/ 04 du 20 fvrier 2017 portant Missions, Organisation, Composition, Instruction, Conditions de service et Fonctionnement de la Force de Dfense Nationale du Burundi", "Ttulo VI, Captulo II de la Ley Constitutiva de las Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras, Decreto No. The lower ranked soldier on the "left" protected the senior officers left side. There's no need to delve into etymythology to try and fail to figure out the why. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. Hear the pronunciation of the word on its own and in example sentences. In the US however, the word is pronounced as Lew-tenant, much to British distaste. It is functionally equivalent to third lieutenant. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Why is 'lieutenant' pronounced as 'leftenant' ? : answers During the early days of the naval rank, a lieutenant might be very junior indeed, or might be on the cusp of promotion to captain; by modern standards, he might rank with any army rank between second lieutenant and lieutenant colonel. Additionally, it can also provide synonyms and suggest formatting improvements. I think it's because in England it was the royalty and nobility who decided how to pronounce words, and they wanted to be fancy and pronounce their own language incorrectly. He is passionate about sharing this knowledge with others, and he frequently speaks at education conferences around the world. It's believed that at some time before the 19th century, the British read and pronounced the "U" at the end of "lieu" as a "V" and the "V" later became an "F". Cookie Notice Therefore, the term leftenant developed. In minor war vessels, destroyers and frigates the first lieutenant (either a lieutenant or lieutenant-commander) is second in command, executive officer (XO) and head of the executive branch; in larger ships where a commander of the warfare specialization is appointed as the executive officer, a first lieutenant (normally a lieutenant-commander) is appointed as his deputy. It is possible that when the English heard the French pronounce the compound word lieutenant, they perceived a slurring which they heard as a v or f sound between the first and second syllables.