Author Topic: Antpitta  (Read 2815 times)

pat

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Antpitta
« on: May 09, 2019, 08:24:14 PM »
Rejected in yesterday's 7-by-many game. Antpittas are a common (if hard to see) family of passerines in central and south America. Their counterparts on the other side of the globe are pittas, already accepted in Chi. I know some of my bird name suggestions have been considered a bit too rare for inclusion but I think antpitta definitely qualifies.

Maudland

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2019, 09:12:09 PM »
Don't fancy your lunch much.

pat

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2019, 09:32:07 PM »
Don't fancy your lunch much.

No comprendo.

pat

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2019, 09:38:14 PM »
Ah, I get you now. Pitta bread. I guess that’s why pitta is already accepted!

Maudland

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2019, 10:09:01 PM »
With added ants!

mkenuk

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2019, 10:54:42 PM »
Sounds almost as bad as  'fly cemetery' which we used to love as kids........in some parts of the country, that is!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flies%27_graveyard





 

Maudland

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2019, 11:00:44 PM »
 :-H

TRex

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2019, 09:28:54 AM »
AFAIK, the bread is always spelt with a single 't': pita.

mkenuk

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2019, 10:21:51 AM »
COD spells both bread and bird as pitta and shows pita (the bread) as 'North American'.

« Last Edit: May 10, 2019, 10:39:42 AM by mkenuk »

TRex

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2019, 05:06:15 AM »
The Wikipedia article says the double tee (tt) is 'British English'. So that raises some questions. How is it spelt in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc? Do those who use a double tee pronounce the first vowel ɪ as in kit, lid, historic?

My Greek, Lebanese, Romanian, and Syrian friends all pronounce the first vowel as as in fleece, seed, mean, pedigree which favours the single tee. And both Greek (πίτα) and Romanian (pită) use a single tee.

So how did British English come up with a double tee?

Puzzled. ???

pat

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2019, 08:25:20 AM »
No such problems with pronouncing or spelling pitta, the bird!  >:D

mkenuk

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2019, 11:22:23 AM »
So how did British English come up with a double tee?

Puzzled. ???

I suspect (although I have no proof) that it has been modelled on the double z in the word pizza.
They are, after all, basically the same word, although one is Italian and one is Greek.
Many Italian restaurants started opening in UK in the 1960s, and European food became more popular after we joined the Common Market (aka the EEC / EU) in the 1970s.

As for pronunciation, I've always pronounced the word as a homophone of peter, although I have heard some people say it as pitter.

Finally, according to the COD, both bread and bird are pronounced in the same way - like peter.

pat

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2019, 10:15:19 PM »
Finally, according to the COD, both bread and bird are pronounced in the same way - like peter.

I've never heard a birder call the bird a 'peter'. It's always 'pitter'.

Linda

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2019, 11:53:20 PM »
Yes, Pat, as in "It's a pitter the cat's just had his tea!"   >:D

mkenuk

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Re: Antpitta
« Reply #14 on: May 12, 2019, 02:42:53 AM »
Finally, according to the COD, both bread and bird are pronounced in the same way - like peter.

I've never heard a birder call the bird a 'peter'. It's always 'pitter'.

You are quite right, Pat. I was confusing the long and short phonetic signs.
pitter for both bird and bread.

And to think I've been mispronouncing it all these years!

 :(