2023-08-02 09:15:12
A word that doesn’t sound like it’s spelled? What the hell ? The French language is not stingy with it (ask foreign students), but the adjective “dangandé” is particularly perverse. Let’s first look at its origins and meaning.
Five centuries of history
According to the CNRTL, “dangling” is attested from the year of grace 1596, when it is synonymous with “dislocated”. Over the centuries, this definition has been refined to refer specifically to a tall, thin person whose gait or gestures are poorly coordinated because of their size. Think of the Goofy characters in Walt Disney or Sammy in Scooby-Doo. We can therefore speak of a lanky individual or, by metonymy, of a allure lanky.
What pronunciation?
First, let’s get this straight: there’s no such thing as the spelling “dinghy”. So, you may ask, why isn’t “gin” in “lanky” pronounced like “ginger” or “gingivitis”? Short answer: because we talk badly. Like everyone else, you’ve probably always heard “dé/guin/gandé”, with a “guin” as in “blood” or “béguin”. But if you check, you will see that the dictionaries are unanimous: it is “gin” like “ginger”.
If everyone makes the mistake, is it still a mistake?
It’s a legitimate question that all dictionary authors ask themselves: when an incorrect use dominates as massively as in the case of “lanky”, isn’t it time to integrate this use into the rule? In any case, rest easy: it is unlikely that you will ever be criticized for mispronouncing this adjective.
#term #lanky #pronounce