The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[MCC]

Interesting riddle, MJ. Elephanteeny was an unexpected pronunciation - didn't everybody think!!

The ending "ine" in Elephantine
Should, without doubt, rhyme with "wine"
I think everyone will agree
With emm and with me
Your pronunciation is beyond sublime


MCC

[underquark]

Where do you get the "..teeny" pronunciation from?
Surely not Arabic (الفنتين) as it ends in a consonant (nun i.e. 'n') and not according to Merriam-Webster dictionary. I agree that it resembles some large pachyderms, however:

[Myth Jellies]

Underquark, you have the uncapitalized entry. M-W's "Elepantine" entry lists the pronunciation as either elephant-tiny or elephant-teeny. Either one works for an oxymoronic pronunciation. I couldn't get the link to MW's capitalized Elephantine to work, but here is one from Answers.com

Perhaps proximity to the former Italian regions of Africa affected the pronunciation for this place

That is an interesting picture. Sure looks like elephants to me.

[Myth Jellies]

Speaking of pronunciation limericks, here's one I am working on...

Those eponyms will truly perplex ya
Cause sleep loss and perhaps even bruxia
Would the color or plant
Be much more in demand
If fuchsia was repronounced Fuchs-ia?

[Bigtone53]

Like underquark, I was surprised by the teeny/tiny pronunciation, given that the last letter was a nun

نون

So I checked with some Arab-speaking colleagues. They unanimously go for the 'teen'.

Formal written arabic has a number of vowel symbols above and below the line which are usually omitted in day-to-day writing so perhaps these might have helped. Alternatively, I know that my compatriots in the north and west of England have wildly different vowel pronounciations from what I am used to in the south so perhaps this is a regional thing.

[underquark]

"teeny" it is, then and the oxymoronism stands. Who named the island, I wonder? - was it one of Napoleon's mob, maybe, to give this pronunciation?

[MCC]

The island was originally called Yebu, which is the ancient Egyptian word for elephant.

Elephantine Island.


MCC

[Myth Jellies]

It appears that the Greeks gave it the name Elephantine. They didn't often waste letters and they sounded out those trailing 'e's, to wit, Eratosthenes.

[underquark]

OK, enlighten me; who spells ἘqĿøένης with an 'e' at the end (rather than "..nis"?

[Myth Jellies]

Ahh, don't be picky. That penultimate letter is an eta. Compare our heptenes with Eratosthenes; or if you'd rather, try Antigone.

[underquark]

or if you'd rather, try Antigone.

Nah, think I'll give up and try some Absinthe.

[MCC]

Now is that "Green elephants or Pink elephants" you'll be seeing


MCC