At 7:01 AM 07/02/02, David H. Bailey wrote: >As for the word "mathematical" I have never heard it used in normal >language as a 5-syllable word
Really? I always say "mathematical" as a five-syllable word. I can't recall ever hearing it pronounced as a four-syllable word. Admittedly it's not a word that's spoken very often at all, but I distinctly remember talking about Martin Gardner's old "Mathematical Games" column in Scientific American. I also pronounced "mathematics" as a four-syllable word. That one I've heard others say both as three-syllable and as four-syllable. Perhaps this is a question of regional accent. I grew up in Alaska and have lived the past 15 years in California. Maybe it's different on the East Coast. Anyway, if there's any ambiguity, it's hard to see why teachers would persist with "mathematical" when there are so many other five-syllable words with the same rhythm -- international, unbelievable, ambiguity, etc. mdl _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
