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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be bewildered by 'christian'

57 replies

Noisytraffic · 28/03/2016 18:18

I don't understand why some people pronounce this ''chrisht-chun'. Am I alone in this confusion?

OP posts:
RupertPupkin · 28/03/2016 19:03

Have you ever been abroad op? They all speak funny there. Shocking really.

Noisytraffic · 28/03/2016 19:05

I think my 'bewilderment' is how this is the only word where this change to the 'st' happens.

OP posts:
BackforGood · 28/03/2016 19:09

but the English language is like that.

Where I live, you say garage as gah-ridge
My SiL says castle as car sl

There are so many different ways to pronounce "ough"
cough, rough, though, through, bough, dough, without even starting to think.

It's odd - possibly makes learning English quite challenging, but it's still not bewildering.

AGazeofRaccoons · 28/03/2016 19:11

The english language is weird OP. It has all sorts of anomalous pronunciations.

I think I say both. I think if I was talking about the religion I'd say Chris-chun, but if I was talking about the name I'd be more likely to enunciate Chris-ti-un.

I've just spent a couple of minutes saying both out loud and can't make either feel 'wrong'.

LindyHemming · 28/03/2016 19:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SukeyTakeItOffAgain · 28/03/2016 19:14

Of all the things about Christianity to be bewildered by... Confused

FWIW OP it's called assimilation. Your mouth alters the word according to which part of them are produced next to the other sounds.

e.g. a lot of people in Cornwall pronounce Bodmin as Bobmin.

DrSeuss · 28/03/2016 19:18

I am bewildered by many "Christians". The God I pray to must be sick of His followers using him as an excuse for being assholes. Does that count?

EastMidsMummy · 28/03/2016 19:31

I'd also say there are loads of words which are pronounced with a sh instead of an s sound, especially among the young.

Ask a young person to say "student" and you'll often get "shtudent'.

Mousefinkle · 28/03/2016 19:35

There was a Kristian in my class at school and a couple of teachers pronounced it Chris-chun, always really really wound me up. Now I'm remembering Jane from 'Enders doing it also and how much it annoyed me, I used to internally correct her every time. It's definitely Chris-tee-an and anyone who says Chris-chun is a total twat Wink.

lorelei9here · 28/03/2016 19:39

I say it as that, OP.

It was that at school, and 2 of the local vicars used that pronunciation as well. Otherwise I wouldn't have learned it? I grew up in London.

I've recently noticed a lot more people saying "Christ-i-an". Is this one of those words that wandered into wrong territory and is being corrected now?

lorelei9here · 28/03/2016 19:40

Rembering the Christians band - always pronounced that way too.

Never heard anyone use "Bobmin" for "Bodmin" though.

MabelBee · 28/03/2016 19:43

Congestion and suggestion. And Christian. But Bastion? Should I be saying bas-chin?

Keeptrudging · 28/03/2016 19:44

Anyone else now sitting talking to themselves? Grin

HandsomeGroomGiveHerRoom · 28/03/2016 19:45

Bodmin is Bommin, surely?

SukeyTakeItOffAgain · 28/03/2016 19:49

Never heard anyone use "Bobmin" for "Bodmin" though

It's not a question of pronunciation or "using"! It's a question of linguistics. Enunciating a "b" is closer in your mouth to the "m" which follows it than a "d" is, therefore the "d" assimilates to a "b". If you say Bodmin quickly and carelessly it becomes "Bobmin". "D" is interdental, whereas "b" and "m" are interlabial*

Are there no linguistics people here?

*It's been 20 years since I studied this so some of the terminology might be inaccurate. But I am right!

SukeyTakeItOffAgain · 28/03/2016 19:49

I had kids in my class (in Bodmin) who used to spell it Bobmin.

lorelei9here · 28/03/2016 20:11

Sukey, I'm really sorry if I am being thick but I can't see how d becomes b. I didn't mean "use" in the way you interpreted it - I am not that clever frankly. I should have said "say"?

the person who said "bastion" yes good point, but as I say, if even the 2 local vicars said "Chris-chun" what else was I going to learn?

lorelei9here · 28/03/2016 20:12

why is b closer to m in a mouth?

(we're going to turn into a comedy sketch, aren't we).

LindyHemming · 28/03/2016 20:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SukeyTakeItOffAgain · 28/03/2016 20:17

Think about the location where the d is formed in your mouth. Between your teeth, yes? The think about which part of your mouth forms the m - you make a humming sound whilst pressing your lips together, yes? Then make a d sound followed by an m sound (as in Bodmin) - your mouth has to follow various contortions don't they?

Then try making a b sound followed by an m sound and see how much easier it is, especially if you are saying the word quickly. Eventually the sounds of words alter over time to reflect this assimilation.

Pronouncing Christian as Christchun when saying it fast is the same process.

SukeyTakeItOffAgain · 28/03/2016 20:17

Euphemia said it in one clear sentence :o

Bambambini · 28/03/2016 20:26

Scottish people have a fear of Ts. Especially if they are goading them from the middle of a word. Fuck off T.

HandsomeGroomGiveHerRoom · 28/03/2016 20:35

To be fair, I don't think anyone pronounces the T in Christian other than pantomime baddies and (as previously mentioned) Cliff Richard.

HandsomeGroomGiveHerRoom · 28/03/2016 20:36

And French people Shock

LindyHemming · 28/03/2016 20:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.