The word newt is a classic example of how speech affects the written word. In Middle English the creature was an ewte but the n gradually shifted forwards from the end of the indefinite article to the beginning of the noun, a process known as metanalysis. This was due to the way the term was spoken and heard.
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I can't pronounce metanalysis and I don't CARE |
The opposite effect is seen in the word adder which, in Old English, was naedre meaning a snake. (The double d was introduced later by scribes to indicate a short vowel). In this case, the initial n moved backwards to attach itself to the indefinite article and the term became an adder. An apron was once a napron and an umpire was a nomper (meaning odd because he is the extra person who resolves disputes - as we sometimes say: the odd one out).
I like to think of: "I scream ice-cream" to see where the division lies to make sense of it. Have one, instead of your usual CUPPA.
