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Pardner

Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 11:42 pm
by Stargzer
Many people should be familiar with a hearty "Howdy, pardner!" done in a western drawl, but I was a bit surprised to find this listed in several dictionaries as a variant spelling of partner. I always figured it for an unofficial pronunciation spelling.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

pardner

SYLLABICATION: pard·ner
PRONUNCIATION: pärd'nImager
NOUN: Regional A partner, companion, or friend.
ETYMOLOGY: Variant of partner.


The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 2:04 am
by Flaminius
Is there no connection with pardon? If one's partners are too acquiescent to raise a question to the worse of your nonchalance, they are pardoners in offence.