[SOC] It's toatally dead - I'll be controversial

[JMcAulay]

At 07:53 AM 04/03/2003 -0500, Bill Cunningham wrote:

>Merriam-Webster on line
>
>Main Entry: 1bund
>Pronunciation: 'b&nd
>Function: noun
>Etymology: Hindi band, from Persian
>Date: 1810
>1 : an embankment used especially in India to control the flow of water
>2 : an embanked thoroughfare along a river or the sea especially in the Far
>East
>======
>
>Yes, this surprised me, too.


Random House Dictionary of the English Language, in hand:  

Main entry:  bund
Pronounced:  bund
Function:  noun
Etymology:  < Hindi *band* < Persian; akin to bind, bond
(Earliest known usage not given)
Def:  (in India, China, Japan, etc.) an embankment; an embanked quay.

What do you mean, surprised you, too?  It surprised *me*, too.

Of course, there's the entry with initial capital letter:

Main entry:  Bund
Pronounced:  boond, Ger. boont
Function:  noun
Etymology:  < G. association, league
1.  a short form of "German-American Volksbund"
2.  an alliance or league.

An unusual pronunciation distinction, since I used to think the only word
in English that changed pronunciation when capitalized (except at the
beginning of a sentence) was "polish."

Learn somethin' every day.

73
John WA6QPL  SOC 263