Monday, October 22, 2007

My pots are going into the whaaa?

This week I've gotten a lot more pots out of the...

Which brings me to the subject of my post. I had always heard the word pronounced "kiln," just like it's written, from my high school days huddling in the kiln room in winter because it was the only warm spot in the studio.

Then I come to the ACC and our beloved Mary Ann Bonner says "kil." First I thought I was just hearing it wrong, but it's been long enough now. Besides, I'm quite positive my friend Thom, former clay guy in the basement, also pronounced it in a way that suggests it's a place where pots go to die.

So I thought I would use the glory of the Internet to settle the dispute. (I should add that I have etymology on the mind since I'm taking Chaucer with the famed R.A. Shoaf). Wasn't to be. American Heritage lists "kiln" as the most accepted pronunciation. But Random House says it's "kil" first. And where does Merriam-Webster weigh in, you journalists might ask? "Kiln."

On the other hand, there is a place called Kiln, Miss., and my boyfriend's grandmother is from there. They pronounce it "Kil."

No comments: