Monday, July 27, 2015

A note on pronunciation

It may seem a trivial matter to most readers but - make no mistake - the discomfort caused by the regular mis-pronunciation of my identifier has at times driven me to contemplate a wholesale rebranding.
It is my own fault of course. As the word Omnivorist is not (yet) in the Oxford English Dictionary, it is unreasonable to expect people to know the correct pronunciation. However, lest there be any doubt, allow me to explain:
Omnivorist is not pronounced (as some would have it) with the stress on the third syllable, as in omnivore with an ist added on the end - Omnivorist. Pronounced that way, it sounds utterly flat and disappointing - like a long drawn out yawn.
No - the correct pronunciation stresses the second syllable, as in omnivorous - with entirely different connotations: like the snapping shut of a trap or a set of jaws.
I trust that might clarify the matter.