'Ate' or 'Et' - pronunciation question

[TsarChasm]

I say 'ate' (sounding like 'eight')

For some reason my dc have started saying 'et' for 'ate'.

I'm not sure if this is a dialect thing. If it is, I'm not sure where they've picked it up from because I don't use it. Nor have I heard the word said that way here (south).

Is it an incorrect pronunciation though? Or do both ways apply?

As in eight is correct.

Et is frightfully common daaahlink

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ate (eight) in this household.

Ok, will be correcting them with a ruler next time I hear it!

No Emmerdale here...just thinking though..aha, bingo..dd's teacher has a very broad Yorkshire accent. Could be him she's picked it up from perhaps? Is it 'et' in Yorkshire?

We have had this before and I am sure that "et" came out as the "proper" way to say it. DH (whose mother was quite posh) says "et".

I say "eight" but I am a terrible pleb!

My dh says 'ett'. I've always corrected him in the strongest possible terms. It sounds like a child's made up word to me. He is from Birmingham so ...

Pronunciation for these kinds of words isn't a pedantry issue, it's a snobbery issue. So properly it should go in AIBU ... (to wish my children wouldn't say 'et'). Unless they eat two biscuits and tell you: et tu, mummy.

It's ate.

at 'et'

Lol at 'et tu' - moving away from the north of England and over to Latin it seems

I'm not too bothered by it. Missing off 'h's' and the the ends of words annoys me much much more.

But then, oh dear, I do that too sometimes, I suspect

Strange, in our family we shudder at "eight" and always say "et". When it comes to pronunciation your own way always seems right, doesn't it?

In Leicestershire here, et is widespread. Naturally last time ds1 said it, I bleached his tongue.

Think this is one where "et" is perfect pronunciation, as used by toffs. But then insecure non-U middle classes start thinking it's common to say "et", so affect "eight" pronunciation instead, and start inappropriately looking down on persons who quite correctly say et.

Oxford dictionary puts et as first pronunciation:

eat
? verb (past ate /et, ayt/; past part. eaten) 1

Yours,
Nancy Mitford (turning in her grave)

'perfect pronunciation' doesn't really exist, there are dialects and accents that are high or low prestige but that's all. purely subjective to value one over another. In England many people value (goodness only knows why) rich southern people's accents.

I am thoroughly ashamed to admit that ds2, who is supposed to be a northerer, has somehow picked up off cbeebies some hideous posh accent and insists on saying 'caaastle' instead of 'castle' etc. it is very embarrassing

I used to say ate but am forcing myself to say et. This was another subject that my mum always used to correct people on ie when they said ate

Et et et

Omg just revisiting my old thread and see that Tech has spoken. Et is is then!

And I so wish it didn't apply to the mini Green and Blacks chocolate bars I bought to give to the teachers, but I'm afraid that it does might

I mostly say et and now realise I am the true heir and successor to Nancy Mitford. Bliss.

I have been going to pose this very question myself and asked a friend who is an English teacher and says "et".

She thought it was a dialect thing too. I'm Scottish and it was always "ate", but my DS has recently started saying "et" (we now live in Leeds). I always correct him, but wondering whether or not I should.

Omg the apotrophe dilemma probably has it's own pedant sub topic Daisy. Shh! You don't want to awaken the hardcore pedants at this time of night. It could get ugly if they're roused

Apostrophe apsotrophe!

et. deffo.