What do you all think about
definitely v
definately. It used to bug the heck out of me, but then I realised that it's probably part of a general vowel shift, which seems to happen for no obvious reason in a language from time to time.
With definitely, it seems to be that you can either put emphasis on the first syllable ( DEFinitely) or the third (definITEly) which comes out as a bit cockney-sounding and somehow people have changed the vowel to an 'a' when speaking, then spell it that way too (definATEly). I have a feeling that within a few decades the 'a' will have become the norm.
Even in my lifetime (and I'm not really all that old
) grammar and spelling have changed a small but noticeable amount. The same has happened in French, in spite of their serious attempts to keep their language 'pure'. I love language and regional variations in words and pronunciation - I can totally miss out on what someone has said because I have been listening to how they speak not what they are saying
I also have a parrot-like compulsion to immitate accents - which has got me into big trouble in the past
I used to be a language pedant but now it's the changes and differences I love.
