It is only capitalized when . "Because it's the correct pronunciation.". Lieu in French means place and tenant is to hold. John is sometimes pronounced as [SIN-jin] or [SIN-jun] in the UK. These are surely not the only words that aren't spelled the way they're pronounced. in lieu of); and tenant meaning "holding" as in "holding a position"; thus a "lieutenant" is a placeholder for a superior, during their absence (compare the Latin locum tenens). In short, English borrowed the word from French, which borrowed it from Italian. Why do Canadians pronounce 'Lieutenant' as 'Leftenant,' and - Quora mainly in war films and mainly refering to Americans). The lower ranked soldier on the left protected the senior officers left side. In the United States, a governor serves as the chief executive officer and commander-in-chief in each of the fifty states and in the five permanently inhabited territories, functioning as both head of state and head of government therein. 1 Why do Americans pronounce lieutenant differently? Why do Americans pronounce lieutenant differently? This leads to many spelling errors and online searches as to how to spell certain words. LieutenantArabic: , romanized:Mulazim awwal(Algerian Land Forces)[6], Leytenant(Armenian Ground Forces)[9], LieutenantBengali: (Bangladesh Army)[13], Liejtenant(Belarusian Ground Forces)[14], Leytenant(Bulgarian Land Forces)[19], Lieutenant(Burkina Faso Ground Forces)[20], LieutenantKirundi: Riyetena(Burundi Ground Forces)[21], LieutenantFrench: Lieutenant(Canadian Army)[22], Lieutenant(Central African Ground Forces), Leitenanti(Georgian Land Forces)[34], LieutenantHindi: (Indian Army)[39], LieutenantIrish: Leifteanant(Irish Army)[40], Lieutenant(Ivory Coast Ground Forces)[42], Leytenant(Kazakh Ground Forces)[44], LieutenantNepali: , romanized:Upasnn(Nepali Army)[58], Leytenant(Russian Ground Forces)[67], Lejtenant(Tajik Ground Forces)[77], Lieutenant(Trinidad and Tobago Regiment)[80], Leytenant(Ukrainian Ground Forces)[83]. That's how Americans pronounce it. And what is it with these Americans, who speak of British English and a British version hello!! If you see any comments that violate this rule, please hit report. Back in 2013, onThe GuardiansNotes and Queries page, a man calledJeff Rushton from London asked this very good question: Why exactly do the British say lieutenant as leftenant? How is Lieutenant pronounced in Canada? In the United States, it is pronounced / lutnnt/, whereas in British English its pronounced /lftnnt/. In the Royal Navy, the commissioned rank of mate was created in 1840, and was renamed sub-lieutenant in 1860. In most English-speaking and Arabic-speaking countries, as well as a number of European and South American nations, full lieutenants (and equivalents) usually wear two stars (pips) and second lieutenants (and equivalents) one. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. "Leftenant" would then be easier to pronounce than "levtenant." hurricanelantern 9 yr. ago In navies, it is often equivalent to the army rank of captain; it may also indicate a particular post rather than a rank. 'Lieutenant' comes from French lieu ('place') and tenant ('holding'). Go well beyond grammar and spell checking. While some air forces use the army rank system, the British Royal Air Force and many other Commonwealth air forces use another rank system in which flight lieutenant ranks with an army captain and naval lieutenant, a flying officer ranks with an army lieutenant and a pilot officer with an army second lieutenant. SpecialUnitt 2 yr. ago. Today, were going to give you the history (and correct spelling and pronunciation) of two military words: colonel and lieutenant. Its just an old English way of speaking. Therefore, the term leftenant developed. Well thanks for that gem, Einstein. It is roughly equivalent to an inspector in the British and Canadian police forces. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Weve made a mistake, forgotten about an important detail, or havent managed to get the point across? Zero is a little bit longer to pronounce, hence the oh. "Leftenant" (or "leften't") is merely. Although lieutenants are no longer numbered by seniority, the post of "first lieutenant" remains. Because thats the word. Good luck, This one is amazing. Aluminum = The British pronunciation is a tongue twister. The pronunciation came about because of the famous British inland pirate. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Why exactly do the British say lieutenant as 'leftenant'? I'm not sure which way other English speaking countries go. Why and when did 'I will' replace 'I shall' in British English? In the US Air Force, the Third Lieutenant Program refers specifically to a training program at active duty air force bases for cadets of the Air Force Academy and Air Force ROTC the summer before their fourth and final year before graduation and commissioning. Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? - Kyoto2.org How To Spell (and Pronounce) Colonel and Lieutenant - LanguageTool Insights . He was later elevated to Lieutenant-General of Police. This gave rise to the Old French zede, which resulted in the English zed around the 15th century. is that lieutenant is (military) the lowest commissioned officer rank or ranks in many military forces while leftenant is an archaic spelling of lieutenant. Maintenance is one of those English words that many people find difficult to spell. For more information, please see our Why do Brits pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? For the bridge, see, United Kingdom and Commonwealth police forces, Report of the Committee of Inquiry on the Police, 1978, " ", "Azrbaycan Respublikas Silahl Qvvlri hrbi qulluqularnn hrbi geyim formas v frqlndirm nianlar haqqnda sasnam", " 21.07.2009 N 388 " , 9 2006 . N 383", Ministry of Defense (Bolivia) [@mindefbolivia], "Conoce la jerarqua de los grados del #Ejrcito", "Akta angkatan bersenjata diraja Brunei (Penggal 149)", " ", "LOI N 037-2016/AN PORTANT CONDITIONS D'AVANCEMENT DES PERSONNELS D'ACTIVE DES FORCES ARMEES NATIONALES", "Loi organique N1/ 04 du 20 fvrier 2017 portant Missions, Organisation, Composition, Instruction, Conditions de service et Fonctionnement de la Force de Dfense Nationale du Burundi", "Ttulo VI, Captulo II de la Ley Constitutiva de las Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras, Decreto No. In the event a governor dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor typically becomes governor. It's just dialect. The British pronunciation of the French word "lieutenant" (as "lef-tenant") is the official pronunciation as used by the Canadian Armed Forces, but the American pronunciation of "loo-tenant" (which is closer to the original French pronunciation) is sometimes heard outside of the military. Look up . In the old US of A, they just pronounce it how it is spelled. Additionally, it can also provide synonyms and suggest formatting improvements. The word lieutenant derives from French; the lieu meaning "place" as in a position (cf. Whats the correct way to say zebra? To the man referencing Websters English dictionary, do yourself a favor and pick up an Oxford English Dictionary. The rare Old French variant spelling leuf for Modern French lieu ('place') supports the suggestion that a final [u] of the Old French word was in certain environments perceived as an [f]. The insignia of a lieutenant in many navies, including the Royal Navy,[92] consists of two medium gold braid stripes (top stripe with loop) on a navy blue or black background. In this page you can discover 8 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for lieu, like: in-lieu-of, place, instead, substitute, stead, position, untaken and pursuance. At the same time the term 'Leftenant' is sometimes used (albeit. Havent you got a chat show you can go off and whoop woo at or something? Tel McCormack, Rochdale, UK, Because thats what it should be called. Learn about the etymology of Lieutenant as well as Colonel.. 3 yr. ago. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. What Is The Hottest Month In New Hampshire? Well show you how to always write maintenance correctly. Having said that, British people do sometimes use it when expressing anger. Why do Brits pronounce clerk as Clark? Some parts of the British Army, including the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and fusilier regiments, used first lieutenant as well as second lieutenant until the end of the 19th century, and some British Army regiments still preserve cornet as an official alternative to second lieutenant. Us for me is common in the north east (of England) particularly Co Durham Land of Prince Bishops. It also falls in the same category as Colonel, pronounced kernel. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Some areas of Britain say darbee, some say derbee. What percentage of recruits fail boot camp? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. In March 1813, the US Army created the rank of third lieutenant. 2 : first lieutenant. In Germany it is called Oberleutnant (senior lieutenant). [94] Throughout the 19th century and until as late as World War II[95] the United States Army sometimes referred to brevet second lieutenants as "third lieutenants". He has dedicated his life to helping students achieve their full potential in the classroom and beyond. In the United Kingdom, a lord lieutenant is the sovereign's representative in a county or lieutenancy area, while a deputy lieutenant is one of the lord lieutenant's deputies. This might be one of them that they changed. Commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces, "Tenente" redirects here. According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. Conventionally, armies and other services or branches that use army-style rank titles have two grades of lieutenant, but a few also use a third, more junior, rank. By the mid-17th century, the spelling and French pronunciation had changed to colonnel. Have some class. William Franklin, Brighton, UK. How do I enable in-stream ads on Facebook? It is in the sense of a deputy that it has entered into the titles of more senior officers, lieutenant general and lieutenant colonel. The word arrived in English from French in 1375 and within 100 years the English were pronouncing it left-tenant as if there were a right-tenant as well. Where more junior officers were employed as deputies to the lieutenant, they went by many names, including second lieutenant, sub-lieutenant, ensign and cornet. Therefore, the term leftenant developed. This gave rise to the Old French zede, which resulted in the English zed around the 15th century. As nouns the difference between lieutenant and leftenant. Why do British pronounce lieutenant with an F? In smaller police departments, they may command a precinct itself. I've noticed in older texts and interviews with older British people they have a tendency to use "shall" and "should" when a younger speaker would use "will" and "would." A lieutenant (UK: /lftnnt/ lef-TEN-nt, US: /lutnnt/ loo-TEN-nt;[1] abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The pronunciation of zebra in English varies between British English and American English. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. The subordinate position or military rank is spelled lieutenant. Like I said I have actually nothing at all to back this up, it's a wild stab in the dark I came up with because I've wondered the same thing for years and could never find any information about it. What rank is leftenant? Reference questions answered here. The rank is also used in fire services, emergency medical services, security services and police forces. Leftenant in the British army, Lootenant in the American army. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. The USN settled on "lieutenant commander" in 1862, and made it a distinct rank; the Royal Navy followed suit in March 1914. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. Confusion sometimes arises because, in the U.S., the word is routinely said "lootenant" (or sometimes "lyootenant"), while in the United Kingdom and other countries of the British Commonwealth the preferred pronunciation is "leftenant." Edmund's work as a teacher, administrator, and researcher has given him a unique perspective on how students learn and what educators can do to foster a love of learning in their students. Thank the British for our language and New York, else we would be speaking Dutch in New Amsterdam (or however the Dutch spell it). Mat, Parma U.S. I dont really know but I love the way the British pronounce certain words, such as schedule, it sounds so much more proper. Nanette Y. Mitchell, Fredericksburg, US, P.S. As a German, the th was difficult for him to pronounce and he pronounced it as Tems. As Wdnesdg moved from Old English to Middle English, its spelling changed. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary shows both pronunciations. The rank of cadet lieutenant (CLT) is given to officer cadet trainees who have passed their officer's course. The British pronunciation of the French word lieutenant (as lef-tenant) is the official pronunciation as used by the Canadian Armed Forces, but the American pronunciation of loo-tenant (which is closer to the original French pronunciation) is sometimes heard outside of the military. Its not that neatly divided. Lieutenant also has more than one abbreviation, and it varies based on the nation and military branch. Dont worry, its not a violent word it has nothing to do with blood.Bloody is a common word to give more emphasis to the sentence, mostly used as an exclamation of surprise. Lieutenant is the 18th rank in the United States Navy , ranking above Lieutenant Junior Grade and directly below Lieutenant Commander. I always suspected--and I have never seen anything to back this up--that this pronunciation was adopted because "lootenant", as the Americans pronounce it, sounds like "Loo-tenant," i.e., "individual occupying the loo (toilet)." Its simply an attempt for English speakers to pronunce French phonemes, I dont believe theres an additional reason. No one can really say why in the British Army the word is pronounced left-tenant but its notable that in the Royal Navy the pronunciation seems half way across the ocean. Leftenant is the British pronunciation, lieutenant is the American pronunciation. Wodan and Mercury, although quite different, were both linked to the day of the week we know as Wednesday. A few of them are: Its understandable why these words cause so much confusion. The United States Marine Corps and British Royal Marines[88] both use army ranks, while many former Eastern-Bloc marine forces retain the naval form[clarification needed]. The rank was used as the entry level officer rank for the Ordnance Department and the Corps of Artillery until March 1821. This word was then adopted by the French, who translated the term in their own language, converted the word colonnello to the word coronel. What money is available for senior citizens? Well explore what these words mean and provide example sentences. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. Why is lieutenant pronounced 'left-tenant' in some varieties of - Quora Questions must have a definitive answer. Who is the blonde girl in the new Verizon commercial? But why is there such a difference in spelling and pronunciation when both nations speak the same language? Learn More 17 Anonymous 2 y Related No one is going to get offended by someone saying frick. Why do British pronounce lieutenant as leftenant? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Is Bosnia a developing or developed country? The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Necessity is the mother of invention, or in this case, wild speculation As an aside, a US Navy Senior Chief and a Master Chief both told me, when I was a kid, that the United States Navy abandoned the title "Commodore" because sailors took to saying "commode door." The British typically use mum, and the Americans, mom. . Therefore, the term leftenant developed. I think it's because in England it was the royalty and nobility who decided how to pronounce words, and they wanted to be fancy and pronounce their own language incorrectly. Once the officer in question passes lieutenant commander and reaches commander, it's all less of a problem. In the US Navy, the rank was called master until 1883, when it was renamed lieutenant, junior grade. Leftenant is the British pronunciation, lieutenant is the American pronunciation. The lower ranked soldier on the "left" protected the senior officers left side. So if no-one gives you the real answer, as no-one has been able to give me the real answer, at least you have this speculation. This word means commissioned officer of high rank in the military. Simply by the way it looks, its easy to see why some people would think its pronounced co-lo-nel. The pronunciation being very difficult for English speaker. Thank the British for our language and New York, else we would be speaking Dutch in New Amsterdam (or however the Dutch spell it). , P.S. 4 How do you pronounce lieutenant in English? Some areas of Britain say darbee, some say derbee. the American rank. [96] Because of the time required to fully establish this organization the rank continued for some time afterwards; the first Coast Guard aviator, Elmer F. Stone, was a third lieutenant until 1918.[97]. Why is Colonel pronounced kernel? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The lower ranked soldier on the left protected the senior officers left side. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The post of first lieutenant in a shore establishment carries a similar responsibility to the first lieutenant of a capital ship. Why do Brits pronounce Lieutenant as leftenant? Why keep.The French part, tenant, then? Press J to jump to the feed. Officially we follow the British pronunciation for it in Canada, but plenty of people say it the American way. You have entered an incorrect email address! In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant, but in Brazil it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain it is the second highest non-commissioned rank. is lieutenant pronounced lieutenant or leftenant? : r/NoStupidQuestions [3] Furthermore, in Latin, the lingua franca of the era, the letter v is used for both u and v. The British and others pronounce z, zed, owing to the origin of the letter z, the Greek letter Zeta. The typical rank insignia for a lieutenant is a single silver bar (like that of an Army or Marine Corps First Lieutenant) or a single gold bar (like that of an Army or Marine Corps Second Lieutenant). Something may be bloody marvellous or bloody awful. The latter if you're British. In the army it is pronounced as leftenant, but in navy they use lootenant. Armchairlinguists on both sides of the Atlantic offered up various answers and suggestions: heres a selection for your interest and entertainment , Because its the correct pronunciation. Nomad, London, England, The Brits are weird jon, cambria, United States, So we have the profound and highly informative answer from an American, he says: The Brits are weird.