----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2000 12:27
PM
Subject: [phoNet] assam
pronunciation
As far as I know the native pronunciation is "uh-SAHM". Of the
two English pronunciations I've heard, a-SAM and ASS-am (only the stress
pattern is different), the first is closer to the original and probably more
widespread. The word meant 'peerless' in Ahom, the ancient language of Assam
(related to Thai, and not a member of the Indo-European family). There is no
reason, AFAIK, to pronounce it with "sh". Perhaps your friends' opinion
results somehow from the ancient confusion between "Assamese" and "Assassins"
(< Arabic hashsha:shi:n 'hashish-eaters', the sect of Muslim fanatics so
notorious at the time of the Crusades). But this connection is erroneous. By
all means go on pronouncing Assam like everybody else.
Piotr
I hope you will not think this rather cheeky but my sole reason for
subscribing to this group is to ask a simple question about
pronunciation and was not sure which newsgroup to approach.
I enjoy
a cup of tea, Assam tea in particular. When this was
mentioned to
some friends, I pronounced the word as spelt but I was
told that they had
been advised that it should be pronounced as if
spelt Asham. Could
someone please confirm this?
My apologies for the
intrusion.