Left Tenants and Kernels

Ever notice how British English and American English have little differences in terminology and pronunciation? The two dialects are mutually understandable (mostly), but every now and then, a word becomes completely different over enough time.

Once the American Revolution’s dust had settled, divided by an ocean, the dialects had a real chance to diverge and carve out a unique identity.

One of these changes I’m fascinated by is the word lieutenant. If you’re reading this and you’re American, your mind’s ear hears “loo tenant.” On the other hand, if you’re English, Irish, or Scottish, you probably hear “left tenant” or “leff-tenant.” What’s going on here?

It seems like the word liutenant made its way over to England from France circa the 14th century. This was right at the start of the great vowel shift, when the pronunciation of lots of English words began a steady shift that lasted centuries.

The French word breaks down into lieu (place) and tenant (holder). You know the phrase “in lieu…