A Minor Curiosity

Questions of pronunciation in all languages.
brogine
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A Minor Curiosity

Postby brogine » Wed Aug 17, 2022 5:50 pm

When do you pronounce ‘enveloped’ with the accent on the final syllable? When it carries the specific sense of putting something in an envelope.
Peripherally, under ‘envelope’ in the OED, /ˈɑnvəˌloʊp/, and its British counterpart, are listed after the sensible way.

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Slava
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Re: A Minor Curiosity

Postby Slava » Wed Aug 17, 2022 7:21 pm

For me, when speaking of an envelope, I'd go with ENveloped.
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brogine
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Re: A Minor Curiosity

Postby brogine » Wed Aug 17, 2022 8:29 pm

Of course you’re right. Don’t know what I was thinking. Thanks for shortening my period of humiliation!

David Myer
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Re: A Minor Curiosity

Postby David Myer » Tue Oct 11, 2022 11:20 pm

I wouldn't go with ENveloped in that sense. Surely if you put something in an envelope, you envelOPE it? But horrid to use the word as a transitive verb anyway IMHO. ENVELoped is when you're completely immersed in something - fog, say, or warm water. And again when his comforting arms ENVELope the injured animal.

No need for humility brogine. Looks like a fair question to me

brogine
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Re: A Minor Curiosity

Postby brogine » Thu Oct 13, 2022 4:21 pm

Thanks for your interest. The OED accepts - albeit as colloquial - ‘envelope’ as a verb.

ˈenvelope v. colloquial to put (a letter) in an envelope.

With no indication otherwise, it must be assumed that pronunciation should be on the first syllable.


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