Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/05/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]:-) Jeffery Smith New Orleans, LA -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Marc James Small Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2004 1:58 PM To: Leica Users Group Subject: [Leica] Forte and Forte: Was, Even us natives don't write English good" At 12:57 PM 5/9/04 -0500, Jeffery Smith wrote: >I'm more comfortable with the music version pronunciation. If I say >"fort", someone invariably corrects me. > These are two different words, though both descend from the Latin root "forti" meaning strong or forceful. One word comes through the Italian and means "with great force"; it is used as a musical directive and is pronounced "for-tey" in USian English. The other comes through Medi?val French and is a survival of the earlier "campus forte" or "situs forte", both meaning a fortified location. Our Modern English word "fort" derives from this word. And, yes, when "forte" is used to describe an outstanding quality or a strong qualification, it is pronounced, "fort" in Modern English. Check out any decent dictionary, from the modern versions of Webster or the American Heritage Dictionary or, of course, the Oxford English Dictionary. So, Jefferey, allow them to correct you. Then you can correct THEM. Marc msmall@infionline.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir! _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information