Oh dear! Words like these pose a challenge to speakers and writers. 'Iimminent' and 'eminent' provide a splendid example.
Once, on a national radio service, I heard a broadcaster speak of an 'eminent' thunderstorm.
Of course he meant 'imminent'; but a slip of tongue shifted the vowel sound. The result was a highly amusing mental picture of a thunderstorm, dressed in the regal robes of office, bearing down on my home town.
To be sure:
Once, on a national radio service, I heard a broadcaster speak of an 'eminent' thunderstorm.
Of course he meant 'imminent'; but a slip of tongue shifted the vowel sound. The result was a highly amusing mental picture of a thunderstorm, dressed in the regal robes of office, bearing down on my home town.
To be sure:
- 'immiment' means 'about to happen'. I learnt to remember 'imminent' by associating it with 'immediate'.
- 'eminent' means 'important' or 'holding status'; this was taught to me, and remembered by aligning 'emiment' with 'emperor'
No comments:
Post a Comment