--- "Ph. D." <phild@...> wrote: > Andrew Dunbar
wrote:

> >
> > --- "Ph. D." <phild@...> wrote: > Mark E.
> Shoulson
> > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > unnamed vs unaimed
> > > > bookcase vs bookie
> > > > rat-trap vs ratty
> > >
> > >
> > > Some English speakers just don't get it. All
> > > over southeastern Michigan, new office buildings
> > > are given names such as "Green Oaks Officenter."
> > > The last word is intended to be read as "Office
> > > Center." Many bank holding companies have
> > > added "Bancorp" to their names. Again, this is
> > > intended to be read "Bank Corp."
> > >
> > > I find this very annoying.
> >
> > They do this so they can trademark the new word,
> > not just to annoy you (:
> > I myself work in a "beachouse" - and yes the word
> > is registered.
>
> But it's not a unique usage. Every office building
> built in the last five years in the Detroit area has
> "officenter" as part of its name. I used to work in
> the Galeria Officenter.

In that case I would say it's just a new buzzword,
probably modeled on the types of spellings and
coumpound words becoming common recently due to both
trademarks and Internet usage - the latter possibly
due to the lack of spaces in URLs.

> Across the street was the Twin Oaks Officenter, and
> down the street was the Highland Officenter. I think
> it's more a matter of copying by people who have no
> idea that it does not reflect the pronunciation.

I doubt ignorance has anything to do with it this
time.
Though most non-linguists wouldn't notice the fact of
gemination unless it was pointed out to them. That
said, "office center" doesn't seem to have a geminate
/s/ for me unless I pronounce it unusually slowly and
pedantically.

Andrew Dunbar.

> --Ph. D.
>
>
>

=====
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