Campaign for real English 11 May 2014 at 11:31AM in Campaigns corner 14 replies 4.3K views

rochja

Has anybody else noticed the sudden resurgence of the word segue which is currently mispronounced segg-weigh with no stress on either syllable? My son Richard used it on my last visit and only this morning it was used 3 times in 3 minutes on the Andrew Marr show. Obviously the e should be softened as there is only one consonant before the next vowel, the g should be softened by the dual vowel,and the ue should be treated as in petanque in our deference to French influence, This surely gives the same pronunciation as siege. The other way conjures a mental image of a Boston Mall cop trundling the halls gun on hip and McDonalds's in mouth. So I am starting a campaign here and now. Donations please to justgiving and plenty of social chat please. Those who are too young to twit can be boing.

Tiglath

It derives from the Italian, so the 'g' is hard and there's an emphasis on the first syllable. Even if it were French, there would be the hard 'g' and probably an 'accent grave' on the first 'e.'

rochja

I take it you wont be donating then?

Tiglath

Nope, no donation from me

shammyjack

rochja wrote: »

Has anybody else noticed the sudden resurgence of the word segue which is currently mispronounced segg-weigh with no stress on either syllable? My son Richard used it on my last visit and only this morning it was used 3 times in 3 minutes on the Andrew Marr show. Obviously the e should be softened as there is only one consonant before the next vowel, the g should be softened by the dual vowel,and the ue should be treated as in petanque in our deference to French influence, This surely gives the same pronunciation as siege. The other way conjures a mental image of a Boston Mall cop trundling the halls gun on hip and McDonalds's in mouth. So I am starting a campaign here and now. Donations please to justgiving and plenty of social chat please. Those who are too young to twit can be boing.

Well thaaaz capped me an reet !


Thaa must avva reet bouring leef lad !

antrobus

rochja wrote: »

Has anybody else noticed the sudden resurgence of the word segue which is currently mispronounced segg-weigh with no stress on either syllable? ...the g should be softened by the dual vowel,and the ue should be treated as in petanque in our deference to French influence.

Err, that's the way I pronounce it. In fact I've never heard the word pronounced in any other way.

Tiglath wrote: »

It derives from the Italian, so the 'g' is hard and there's an emphasis on the first syllable. Even if it were French, there would be the hard 'g' and probably an 'accent grave' on the first 'e.'

It's definitely from the Italian seguire, too follow. In fact segue is the 3rd person singular present of seguire. And that 'g' is most certainly hard in Italian because there's only one of them. In Italian it's the 'gg' that's softened as in parmiggiano.

Not knowing the difference between Italian and French is the kind of thing that leads to wars.:)

rochja

Well all I can tell you folks is that is the way it is pronounced if you learnt the word from a book 50 years ago and had nobody to tell you any better. My argument is that I am too old to change so the World has to change for me. Not so unreasonable is it?

margaretclare

rochja wrote: »

Well all I can tell you folks is that is the way it is pronounced if you learnt the word from a book 50 years ago and had nobody to tell you any better. My argument is that I am too old to change so the World has to change for me. Not so unreasonable is it?

I learned English grammar a little bit more than 50 years ago but I have never heard of this word.

seven-day-weekend

I have never heard of the word either.

fredandwilma

I know segue as a term in music, which means - To make a transition directly from one section or theme to another.




A segue is a smooth transition. When you segue in conversation, you change the topic so smoothly that people might not even notice.




Also now available as a self balancing robot..........

AnnieO1234

I don't normally post on this section so hope you don't mind me commenting, I always assumed people were using the word "Segway" in relation to the two wheel platforms vehicles that are self-balancing? Not relating it to segue at all?

Xx