Talk:Forehead

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I moved the following pronunciation note to Wiktionary, where I believe it is more appropriate:

Pronunciation note

Despite the fact that the word forehead looks as if it were composed by fore and head, its traditional pronunciation is /ˈfɒɹɪd/ (FORrid, rhymes with horrid), even if the more logical pronunciation /ˈfɔː(ɹ)hɛd/ is becoming more common.

I severely doubt 'forrid' was ever anything but cockney pronunciation.

[edit] Cockney Pronunciation?!?

Cockney pronunciation? You obviously know absolutely nothing about the English Langauge. Perhaps you ought to consider investing in an English Dictionary before you come online to edit other peoples' serious work on subjects they are proficient in. Speaking of proficiency, 'severely doubt' is incorrect English - the adverb you are looking for is 'seriously'; 'seriously doubt' is more sound. Look up severe in a dictionary - it doesn't make sense as you've used it.

[edit] It might not be Cockney, but it's still later

The evidence does suggest that the pronunciation rhyming with "horrid" is in fact later (not to mention less logical) than "fore-head." Early spellings of forehead include "for~heafod" from Ælfic (ca. 1000). We also have "for-hed" (late 14th c.), "forr-head" (17th c.), not to mention from the early 14th century: "In mie foreheuede iwrite mi name {th}u schalt iseo." Etc. (Check OED for these and more.)

I don't see any attestation of a spelling that would give a rhyme with horrid before the 15th c. and nothing clearly indicating that before the 16th. If you have a clear example, please cite it.

I think the pronunciation note should be changed.

By the way: When lambasting others for a lack of knowledge of the English language, it is best to avoid misspellings (e.g., "English Langauge"). 130.54.104.138 03:46, 19 February 2007 (UTC)