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ArchivesRe: My column on Cedric
in reply to a message by Anneza
I had no idea that Hardwicke pronounced the first syllable of his name as "see". I have never heard that in the USA. I have only heard the first syllable rhyming with Ed or Fred here.
Also, "C" was NOT pronounced as "S" in Old English but like "k" before a back vowel or "ch" as in "charm" before a front vowel. So I think Cerdic was pronounced something like "chair-dick" in Old English.
Also, "C" was NOT pronounced as "S" in Old English but like "k" before a back vowel or "ch" as in "charm" before a front vowel. So I think Cerdic was pronounced something like "chair-dick" in Old English.
This message was edited 9/13/2021, 6:39 AM
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The timing of the change from a plain palatal /c/ (as distinguished from the velar /k/) to the partially palatal sibilant /tʃ/ is uncertain. In modern English palatal /c/ becomes the full sibilant /s/ (primarily in introduced words, native words having already transitioned to /tʃ/ spelled |ch|). Some OE runic scripts distinguish between the palatal and velar versions of "c", but text alone can't tell us whether and when the palatal version is a stop or fricative.
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