Please Settle An Argument For Me

[Samuraisan]

Does anyone really know the correct pronounciation of "etc." ?

[BlackadderV]

There is no pronunciation for etc. It has to be said in its long form, etsetera, though Latin purists would say et kaytera.

[jourdain2]

So far as I am aware it is as it sounds when written it full - etcetera. Short e (eh), short 't' (te as in 'hit'), 'set', 'er', short 'a' as in cat. Never really done phonics, sorry, near as I can get.

[daveygh]

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/british/etc

[Buenchico]

>>>Latin purists would say et kaytera

My Latin teacher (who wrote a textbook on the subject) wouldn't!
(Roughly in between "eh ketera" and "eh kaytera", with the 't' of the first word definitely remaining silent).

However I agree that the Anglicised version is 'etsetera'.

[BlackadderV]

I prefer the Greek equivalent, kai ta loipa, abbreviated to k.t.l. Baffles the brains out of officialdom.

[Samuraisan]

Thanks guys. That's what I thought , et cet era

[anaxcrosswords]

Thanks to those who have pointed out the "et kay-tera" pronunciation, which I'd almost forgotten.
How many of you will admit to the awful (giggles) variant I often hear, of "Ex-etera"?

[Quizmonster]

I have heard it pronounced - purely as a joke and always doubled - close to the opening three syllables of the word, 'etiquette'. Thus, ettiki ettiki, with the two letters 'i' as in the word, 'sit'.

[weecalf]

aye I do .xsett ra

[Cloverjo]

David Mitchell did a good sketch on this subject, where he becomes irate by people saying ek setera and also expresso (for the coffee), pacific (instead of specific). I'm sure there were others but can't remember them now.

[BlackadderV]

Chambers gives expresso as an alternative to espresso.

[grasscarp]

I saw someone write on Internet that a particular situation is "doing my heading"

[sandyRoe]

capital post, that ^

[Peter Pedant]

Some words are always pronounced if full even if abbreviated - Mrs Missus, Apr - April
and this is one

/et set er uh/ - or /et set ruh/

Chris - I conclude your latin teacher must have written " wocks lateen - ar "
There arent that many books on Latin prounciation

We had the 1905 HMC agreed pronunciation - caesar pronouced like " thigh czar " and hard c.

and then they changed into that mimsy girlie system [ chay-zar ]

and I think it has changed again

[Peter Pedant]

// Chambers gives expresso as an alternative to espresso. //

kinda odd since Italian doesnt have an 'x' - but Latin did.

[BlackadderV]

And so does French.

[DTCwordfan]

that explains away the Italian temperament then, take away the 'x' and the culture collapses. Wonder if we could do this with the French.....?

[Old_Geezer]

I thought it became an expresso if you let it go cold.

[BlackadderV]

In French cafés you will normally hear,"Un express', s'il vous plaît."