A SHORT LESSON ON SPELLING WHAT YOU HEAR
The following three words are somewhat close in pronunciation and are notoriously (mis)spelled in any number of ways. Hearing closely what is said will help you enunciate them clearly and spell them more accurately to avoid miscommunication.
MÅNGGE? WHERE?
Separate the syllables. MÅNG + GE
The Å is the open "a."
There is no glota ( ' ) after "ge."
MÅNNGE'! DELICIOUS!
Separate the syllables. MÅN + NGE'
Pronounce both syllables separately.
Notice the glota.
MÅNGE'. TO WRITE.
Separate the syllables. MÅN + GE'
It has the same first syllable as in månnge'.
It ends with a glota, as in månnge'.
But there is no "ng" sound as there is in månnge'.
You hear instead a hard "g." Ge'.
It comes from the root word tuge'. Write.
But when you use tuge' as a general action, as in "to write a letter," you put "man" in front of tuge'.
Månge' yo' kåtta. I wrote a letter.
"A letter" is not specific; it is indefinite and general. We're not sure what letter.
Saying "the letter" is specific. Not "a" letter but "the" letter. Here you switch to tuge'.
Hu tuge' i katta. I wrote the letter.
MAN + TUGE' = MÅNGE'
The "tu" is dropped. It becomes månge'.
PS - Many will spell some or all the above with an "i" at the end instead of an "e." Månggi? Månngi'! Mångi'.
I think "write" in you post is supposed to have 2 g's for various reasons, but the one I turn to is that ng is considered a single letter in the modern Chamorro alphabet rather than a combination (blend). Even though you really don't hear the ng sound, I believe it's written mangge'.
ReplyDelete"Mangge'" would necessitate, in my opinion, pronouncing the word "mang" + "ge'," which admittedly is the way some pronounce it. But since the components are "man" and the second syllable of "tuge'", the composite would be man + ge', which is the way I hear most man amko' pronounce it.
ReplyDeleteI also think there is a value in having the tilde ( ~ ) over the ng when needed, as Pale' Roman used in his writings. I have not seen that capability on any computer I have used yet.
ReplyDelete