Talk:Fillet (cut)

Don't forget that it is also pronounced 'fill-it' in Australia (and poss New Zealand)!

And in Britain and Ireland, too. I've made a change. 131.111.8.102 18:26, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Pronunciation
It may be worth noting some of the nuances of this pronunciation.

As mentioned, Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand (along with others) use the pronunciation of "fill-it" or "fill-et", while north America typically uses "fill-ay". The latter corresponds with the French pronunciation of filet. However, when Britain, et al. refer to the French dish "Filet Mignon", they use both the French spelling and pronunciation. This is consistent with the English adoption of many French phrases, such as "faux pas".

The differing pronunciation may have originated during the time of the war of independence. There was a backlash against England in many areas, including language. One effect was the publication of Websters Dictionary, which included several "new" spellings for English words. I have been informed (no citation unfortunately) that it was as a part of this process that the (now) USA chose to adopt the French pronunciation of "lieutenant".

While this history may apply to "lieutenant" I have no knowledge if it also applies to "Fillet". It would be interesting to mention this information if someone is able to provide a definitive reference.

65.91.254.98 17:26, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Would it not be helpful to add IPA for the original French pronunciation, also? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.2.228.244 (talk) 14:23, 18 April 2009 (UTC)

My experience is that it is not pronounced "fill-ay" universally in North America. Maybe in the USA it is like that. But Canada is another story! I grew up hearing "fill-it". When I first heard McDonald's advertisements on television in the early 1970s they were promoting their Filet O Fish Sandwiches, I had no idea it was anything to do with with a fillet of a fish. I figured it was some silly commercial made up word, like "big mac". "Flayed fish"? Besides: Fillet and filet are two different words. One is English and the other is french. Spelt differently, with a different history. English has absorbed many words. Remember the Norman Conquest. I would like to see why the USA favours the french word, since their history is dated back to Great Britain but to a previous time than Canada.

69.166.30.114 (talk) 00:34, 8 October 2012 (UTC)

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