Speech pattern and typographical variations across Canada - Page 51

Acajack · #**1001** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 12:11 PM**

One of my kids just got up.

Last letter of the alphabet en anglais is... zed.

Learned in Quebec francophone public school.

I'll see what the other one says later.

kool maudit · #**1002** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 12:33 PM**

i say 'zee' but my mom hates it. it does, however, rhyme in the song, and i watched a lot of sesame street back in the day.

north 42 · #**1003** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 1:50 PM**

I always say zed, but many Windsorites use both, most likely due to our location next to Detroit.

Acajack · #**1004** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 1:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kool maudit

i say 'zee' but my mom hates it. it does, however, rhyme in the song, and i watched a lot of sesame street back in the day.

Darned song! W.A. Mozart should have thought of that when he composed it!

Acajack · #**1005** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 1:55 PM**

My eldest has chimed in just before leaving for school.

"Hmmm, is it zee or zed? Can't remember for sure. I think it's zee."

begratto · #**1006** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 2:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Anglo-Quebecers seem to say zee more given that there seems to be a need to distinguish English from French. In French it's zed too. So it registers in people's minds that if it's zed in French it's gotta be something different in English. Hence the use of zee. Francophones in Quebec who learn English also tend to use zee. I suspect that lio says zee. I'll have to check with my kids but I am pretty sure I have heard them say zee.

Maybe it's a Gatineau thing?

Here in Montreal everyone I know, anglo or franco, says Zed when speaking in English. My own kids who are in elementary school have learned it as "Zed". I used to go to Cegep in English and everyone said Zed. Same thing at work where many of my colleagues are anglo-montrealers.

Acajack · #**1007** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 2:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by begratto

Maybe it's a Gatineau thing?

Here in Montreal everyone I know, anglo or franco, says Zed when speaking in English. My own kids who are in elementary school have learned it as "Zed". I used to go to Cegep in English and everyone said Zed. Same thing at work where many of my colleagues are anglo-montrealers.

Not sure. If anything I'd expect Gatineau to be more zed-oriented due to the proximity with Ontario.

I based my comments on the many Anglo-Montrealers I know and have met, many of which say zee and also seem to default to many other more American pronunciations like the whole marry/merry thing, pro-cess vs. prah-cess, how they say route(does it rhyme with doubt or does it rhyme with boot?), etc.

SignalHillHiker · #**1008** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 5:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

This is extremely surprising as Newfoundland is generally the biggest place for Britishisms in Canada by far. Stuff like saying tins for cans is much more common in Nfld.

Are you sure it's not just you?

I'd be very surprised if people in southern Ontario and the lower mainland of BC still say zed quite predominantly (as they do) and Newfoundlanders say zee.

This merits further inquiry.

I doubt it's just me, but it could be. Doesn't come up often, so I've no idea what anyone else says.

Asked around - one friend from NS usually says zee but says zed when, say, reading out a postal code, one from here says both depending on context, and one from here said, "I probably say zad."

EDIT: Heard back from one more, from Alberta. "I'm 70/30 zed/zee. Precisely 70/30 lol."

MolsonExport · #**1009** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 5:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Not sure. If anything I'd expect Gatineau to be more zed-oriented due to the proximity with Ontario.

I based my comments on the many Anglo-Montrealers I know and have met, many of which say zee and also seem to default to many other more American pronunciations like the whole marry/merry thing, pro-cess vs. prah-cess, how they say route(does it rhyme with doubt or does it rhyme with boot?), etc.

Zee. Always Zee.
Marry (not a homonym with Merry): Mah-ree vs. Merry (as in error). Similar to the French "marie" (except for the latter inflection on the final syllable)
Prah-cess.
Route rhymes with boot.

-Anglo Montrealer.

Now back to the focus on Newfoundlandese. Best kind, b’y. Ow’s she gettin’ on?”

401_King · #**1010** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 6:08 PM**

Zee. Must be a regional thing.

Zed doesn't even rhyme with the song.

Xelebes · #**1011** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 6:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Darned song! W.A. Mozart should have thought of that when he composed it!

Zot?

I always use zed. Zee just sounds strange.

1overcosc · #**1012** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 6:17 PM**

Always zed. The only people I've ever heard say 'zee' are Americans.

British people say 'zed' too, I believe.

Given that the name ultimately comes from the Greek 'zeta', I'd imagine that 'zee' is a more recent pronounciation, which would help explain its regional restrictions.

Acajack · #**1013** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 6:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

British people say 'zed' too, I believe.

.

I am almost positive that zed is the standard for all native English speakers across the Anglosphere except Americans (and some Canadians).

Acajack · #**1014** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 6:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xelebes

Zot?

I always use zed. Zee just sounds strange.

Zee is always slightly jarring to me. I do hear it from time to time from Canadians. It's certainly not something you absolutely never hear on this side of the border.

Acajack · #**1015** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 6:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Given that the name ultimately comes from the Greek 'zeta', I'd imagine that 'zee' is a more recent pronounciation, which would help explain its regional restrictions.

Americans are known for trying to simplify the English language. Both formally (zee, center, color, dialog, judgment, etc.) and also informally (midnite, thru, Xmas, etc.)

SignalHillHiker · #**1016** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 6:48 PM**

Apparently Gaelic speakers pronounce Z as "zae" when speaking English, so that could be where our use of it comes from - assuming it predates American influence.

I imagine, though, that we just get it from the Americans. I learned it as 'zee' in school because of the alphabet song.

Pronouncing H as 'haitch" instead of 'aitch" is definitely from Ireland, though.

Acajack · #**1017** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 6:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Apparently Gaelic speakers pronounce Z as "zae" when speaking English, so that could be where our use of it comes from - assuming it predates American influence.

I imagine, though, that we just get it from the Americans. I learned it as 'zee' in school because of the alphabet song.

Pronouncing H as 'haitch" instead of 'aitch" is definitely from Ireland, though.

I've heard haitch from other Anglosphere people too, Australians for example.

Nashe · #**1018** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 7:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I've heard haitch from other Anglosphere people too, Australians for example.

Yeah, I wonder about that one... the "haitch" thing bothers me, but for all I know, it could be correct. I love it when someone on the phone spells out a URL or talks techy. "haitch-tee-tee-pee" and "haitch-tee-emm-ell". Something jams me up when I hear that.

SignalHillHiker · #**1019** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 7:18 PM**

Well, that's jarring just because they're actually spelling out things they need not.

Haitch was one of the ones that got me teased the most. I don't even do it all the time. And only for the first H.

Like Santa's postal code - HOH OHO - I'd say that "Haitch-o-aitch, o-aitch-o.

1overcosc · #**1020** Posted **Nov 20, 2014, 7:21 PM**

I've heard 'haitch' in the Renfrew County dialect before. Not sure if its standard out there.