Talk:potable
Add topicI think the phonetic description and the sound file are wrong on this: according to all the dictionaries I have, it has a long o, not as not pot-able, as in "able to put into a pot", but as in poh-table, as in the latin potare to drink. — This unsigned comment was added by 63.76.135.132 (talk).
- Note: the below discussion was moved from the Wiktionary:Tea room.
(Copied from talk page RJFJR 15:04, 8 September 2008 (UTC)) I think the phonetic description and the sound file are wrong on this: according to all the dictionaries I have, it has a long o, not as not pot-able, as in "able to put into a pot", but as in poh-table, as in the latin potare to drink. — This unsigned comment was added by 63.76.135.132 (talk).
- Can someone better at IPA check and fix this, please. RJFJR 00:11, 9 September 2008 (UTC)
- The audio file is wrong; I'll clean up the IPA. --EncycloPetey 06:46, 9 September 2008 (UTC)
Huh? EncycloPetey, you haven’t corrected it; according to the anon., it should be: (UK) /ˈpɒtəbl/ and (US) /ˈpɑːɾəbl/. (Nota that the US pronunciatory transcription may not be 100% correct and that I’ve removed the non-phonemic [ɫ] from both transcriptions.) † ﴾(u):Raifʻhār (t):Doremítzwr﴿ 08:12, 9 September 2008 (UTC)
- Actually the anon says that it should have a long o (UK: /ɘʊ/), and that is what my dead tree dictionary says. However, I have added /ˈpɒt.ə.bəl/ as a second UK pronunciation as this is the only way I've ever heard it pronounced on this side of the Atlantic, and Wiktionary is descriptive rather than prescriptive. If the short "o" is how the US audio is pronounced (I can't listen to audio atm due to hardware issues) then I suggest that a short "o" option is added to the US transcription also. Thryduulf 12:47, 10 September 2008 (UTC)
- Oh, sorry. Right you are; I misread what he wrote. I’m not so sure about the argument for adding a “descriptive” pronunciation; however, if you can somehow reference an audio recording (such as an archived news video or YouTube clip) to back it up, that would be great. † ﴾(u):Raifʻhār (t):Doremítzwr﴿ 09:59, 11 September 2008 (UTC)
- Other than recording my speech and that of other people I know (which I do not have the technical capacity to do, otherwise there would be many more UK audio pronunciations than we currently have!) I have no idea how I would go about finding such an audio clip. To me someone pronouncing the word with a long "o" would sound incredibly pretentious! Thryduulf 12:50, 11 September 2008 (UTC)
- (... too late to be a useful contribution, I know, but) surely the 'o' is pronounced as in potion (same root). I've never heard it pronounced with a short 'o' in the UK (I would think it a different word - able to be put in a pot). My pronunciation (general northern England) (fwiw) would be as for the first US pronunciation (i.e. without the RP/Estuary 'ew'), but also without the 't' sounding like a 'd'. Dbfirs 08:48, 27 December 2008 (UTC)