Emily's Word World #4

Naming this string of posts in honor of the beautiful Emily, though earnest in intent, does not do her justice as a monument to what I think of her. If i was a early pioneer or explorer, I would name a hill or a mountain or a river, or an extensive expanse of scenic landscape after her. Alas, she gets the Word World--a tribute to the inner nerd in all of us, and the inner nerd in her that I love dearly.

mnemonic

mne·mon·ic (n-mnk)adj.
Relating to, assisting,
or intended to assist
the memory.n.
A device, such as a formula or
rhyme, used as an aid in
remembering.

This word was mispronounced this morning by my boss during her lecture (a very helpful lecture, mind you). She pronounced it "noomonic."

This I can understand in light of her being a medical professional, as our lexicon includes many words beginning with the prefix "pneumo-," referring to "air," or "lungs." But I think I've heard it elsewhere, whether that was in medical arenas or not--I don't recall.

(FYI: "pneuma" is the biblical greek word for "spirit," as well. So all of our references to air and breathing are rooted in the idea of a spirit. Think also of breathing in as "inspiration," breathing out as "expire." Death, in medicine, is recorded as "time of expiration." The idea of "spirit" as "air," related to each other by having to do with breathing. For all you Christians, this is an interesting way to listen to the song that begins with, "This is the air I breathe...Your holy spirit/living in me.")

Of course there are certain procedures of pronunciation to remember with silent first letters, as we have here with the leading "mn-"...which reminds me of yet another medically related mispronunciation...or actually, incorrect assumption of pronunciation.

"Dyspnea," is a medical word used to described difficulty with breathing. Note the "pnea," portion which is related to the above "pneumo-/air" discussion. When you speak greek, a word like "pneuma," is pronounced by forming the "p" with your lips, and then saying "neuma." You don't say, "pa-nooma." It should sound more like "nooma," but by simply forming the "p" with your lips, you achieve the subtlety of its pronunciation. The greek equivalents of "p" and "n" in greek are "pi" and "nu"--two separate letters, unlike "psi," the first greek letter, like in "psychology."

Anyway...So, this supervising doctor of mine in med school who was a pulmonologist (lung doctor) corrected one of the residents pronunciation of "dyspnea" while on rounds one day. The resident had said it as, "disp-nee-a." She told him that it should be pronounced, "diss-nee-a," because it should be just like "pneumonia" (when spoken fast, sounds like "noo-moan-ya").

But the resident was right, according to what I learned about greek in college. It's not so much a silent "p" as much as it is a subtle "p" sound. Certainly, it shouldn't be left out, in my opinion.

I will allow for exceptions. I will not go around using the subtle "p" before "psychiatry," or "pneumonia." I'd get laughed at...and I'm a tender little guy.

Back to "mnemonic"...the error was saying "noomonic," and not "nemonic." Using the subtle "m" in this case would be correct, but I will not insist upon it.

That is all, class...

Signed,

Sam's Inner Nerd