How do y'all pronounce quixotic

[Gruebeard]

So, yeah, I was watching Charles in Charge the other day and Charles is tutoring one of the girls on how to spell the word "quixotic" (As in tilting at windmills crazy) but it took me a while to understand what he saying because he was pronouncing it weirdly.

Then, yesterday, I hear Lisa Simpson say the same word the same way, and I'm confused. Help me, Halforums. How should I be saying this word?

 

[ThatNickGuy]

Susan.

No wait, that's something else.

 

[Dave]

 

[Cog]

Quijotesco.

 

[Sara_2814]

I say "Kee-ho-tic". Quixote is a proper name, so I've never understood mangling it into "Kwik-so-tic" to make it an adjective.

I also pronounce conquistador as "con-kee-sta-dor" and not "con-kwist-a-dor". For Spanish-origin words, I tend to pronounce "qui" as "kee".

 

[Gruebeard]

I say "Kee-ho-tic". Quixote is a proper name, so I've never understood mangling it into "Kwik-so-tic" to make it an adjective.

I also pronounce conquistador as "con-kee-sta-dor" and not "con-kwist-a-dor". For Spanish-origin words, I tend to pronounce "qui" as "kee".

Yay! I'm not the only one.

 

[HCGLNS]

Kwicks Zotic

 

[PatrThom]

I learned the word before I learned (proper) Spanish, so I've always pronounced it "kicks-OTT-ick," so like "exotic" but starting with "kick" rather than "egg."

--Patrick

 

[Officer_Charon]

Key-HO-tic. As in Don Key-HO-tay.

If I hear someone pronouncing the X, my eyebrow twitches.

 

[Dave]

Key-HO-tic. As in Don Key-HO-tay.

If I hear someone pronouncing the X, my eyebrow twitches.

Your eyebrow twitches if someone pronounces a word correctly? That's odd.

 

[netsirk]

Must delurk for grammar-type things!

Much as it should appear the contrary, given that the word derives from the proper name Quixote (as amply mentioned above), the accepted pronunciation is, in fact, "quicks-otic." In case you don't believe dictionary.com or Merriam-Webster, the venerable Oxford English Dictionary includes only that pronunciation, as well (and they're the kings of including variant pronunciations with their entries). Since the OED is behind a paywall, I've attached a screenshot of their entry for "quixotic" for y'all's browsing pleasure

The best reason I can find for this pronunciation is that the adjective form was first used in English (in the 1700s), hence the more strident Anglicization. We mostly see these Anglicized pronunciations today with proper nouns, like Mexico and Paris (which few Americans would commonly pronounce as "Meh-hee-co" or "Pa-ree," unless adopting a deliberate affectation.)

Quixotic pronunciation discussion aside, the one that really gets me is the word "forte," as in "strength or special skill." Most people pronounce it "for-tay," as one would for the dynamic notation in music (which is Italian!), but in fact, the proper American pronunciation is just "fort" (like what you'd build with Lincoln Logs, no second syllable accent). Since SO many people have continued to use the "for-tay" form, this pronunciation is beginning to be included as a variant in most dictionaries. Granted, "figuratively" has been added as a variant definition for "literally" in some dictionaries in recent years, so I don't even know if I can trust dictionaries any longer! (Also, if you want to be a SUPER NERD about etymology (and who doesn't?), "forte" comes from the feminine form of the French adjective of the same spelling and nearly identical meaning. In French, the masculine form (fort) is pronounced roughly "forr," while the feminine form (forte) is pronounced with no accent, as above (like the building). So even though French is all about the accents, this is one case where the common American pronunciation adds in a spoken accent that wasn't originally there! It would be written "forté" if it were supposed to have the "-ay" accent on the end!) Thus, while I will happily write the word "forte," I no longer use it in spoken conversation (except in discussing this very pronunciation issue!), lest I be drawn into the bottomless quagmire of pronouncing the word technically correctly and being thought of as an uneducated clod, or using the common pronunciation and betraying my nerdy, word-loving brain.

TL;DR it's officially "quicks-otic." English is weird.

 

[drifter]

Eh, quixotic only has one accepted pronunciation, and it's been that way for three centuries now. It's an English word and is pronounced as such, despite its origins. If you want to pronounce it like in Spanish, may I suggest using Don Quixotesque?

Fun fact: when Don Quixote was written the x was most likely pronounced with the old Spanish sh sound. So maybe it should be pronounced keesh-otic if you really want to get back to its roots

-edit-
Dang, ninja'd by over half an hour. That's what I get for tracking down historical sibilants.

 

[Sara_2814]

Eh. Given that the "experts" lied to us for centuries about not ending sentences with a preposition in English (that "rule" was actually made up by a bunch of 17th century snobs trying to make Germanic English more like Latin), I'm going to continue to err on the side of not deliberately pronouncing people's names completely wrong.

Also, the "in English you have to pronounce words as they're spelled" rule that people trot out for quixotic is utter bullshit, considering the rule originated in a country that pronounces Worcestershire and Leicestershire as "woostershear" and "lestershear". When the UK starts following their own rules and pronounces Worcestershire "correctly", I'll change my pronunciation of quixotic.

And you're right. English is very dynamic and changeable. And the changes have to start somewhere. Like pronouncing people's names correctly, even if they're turned into an adjective.

 

[drifter]

So are you going to start pronouncing it keeshotic then? Like I said, that was the most likely pronunciation when the book was written.

From page 343 of "Latin to Spanish" by Lloyd.

 

[MindDetective]

Oh no! Language evolves? What will I tell my bae? This literally makes me want to never speak to people again. Oh well. Yolo.

 

[PatrThom]

Must delurk for grammar-type things!

Much as it should appear the contrary, given that the word derives from the proper name Quixote (as amply mentioned above), the accepted pronunciation is, in fact, "quicks-otic." In case you don't believe dictionary.com or Merriam-Webster, the venerable Oxford English Dictionary includes only that pronunciation, as well (and they're the kings of including variant pronunciations with their entries). Since the OED is behind a paywall, I've attached a screenshot of their entry for "quixotic" for y'all's browsing pleasure

The best reason I can find for this pronunciation is that the adjective form was first used in English (in the 1700s), hence the more strident Anglicization. We mostly see these Anglicized pronunciations today with proper nouns, like Mexico and Paris (which few Americans would commonly pronounce as "Meh-hee-co" or "Pa-ree," unless adopting a deliberate affectation.)

Quixotic pronunciation discussion aside, the one that really gets me is the word "forte," as in "strength or special skill." Most people pronounce it "for-tay," as one would for the dynamic notation in music (which is Italian!), but in fact, the proper American pronunciation is just "fort" (like what you'd build with Lincoln Logs, no second syllable accent). Since SO many people have continued to use the "for-tay" form, this pronunciation is beginning to be included as a variant in most dictionaries. Granted, "figuratively" has been added as a variant definition for "literally" in some dictionaries in recent years, so I don't even know if I can trust dictionaries any longer! (Also, if you want to be a SUPER NERD about etymology (and who doesn't?), "forte" comes from the feminine form of the French adjective of the same spelling and nearly identical meaning. In French, the masculine form (fort) is pronounced roughly "forr," while the feminine form (forte) is pronounced with no accent, as above (like the building). So even though French is all about the accents, this is one case where the common American pronunciation adds in a spoken accent that wasn't originally there! It would be written "forté" if it were supposed to have the "-ay" accent on the end!) Thus, while I will happily write the word "forte," I no longer use it in spoken conversation (except in discussing this very pronunciation issue!), lest I be drawn into the bottomless quagmire of pronouncing the word technically correctly and being thought of as an uneducated clod, or using the common pronunciation and betraying my nerdy, word-loving brain.

TL;DR it's officially "quicks-otic." English is weird.

I like and appreciate you for this post alone. The third-person plural, the italics, the capitalization of proper nouns, etc. Please stay.

Oh no! Language evolves? What will I tell my bae? This literally makes me want to never speak to people again. Oh well. Yolo.

You forgot to capitalize YOLO. Also you forgot to include a smiling emoji. -5pts.

--Patrick

 

[Dei]

Never come to Colorado if you hate words being pronounced differently than (what you think are) their historic roots.

 

[Sara_2814]

So are you going to start pronouncing it keeshotic then? Like I said, that was the most likely pronunciation when the book was written.

From page 343 of "Latin to Spanish" by Lloyd.

View attachment 23708

And do they use "kee" or "kwish" as the first part?

I'll pronounce it kee-oh-tic, kee-sho-tic, or even Patr_Thom's "kicksotic", but never "kwiksotic". Mostly because it pisses off the Kwikshot fanboys. I never even really thought about this until Grue brought it up, but doing some research on it brought me to some forums where people got sent into a frothing rage over the usage of kee-oh-tic. LOL

Or maybe I'll use Quijotesco to piss off the English Only faction.

 

[MindDetective]

You forgot to capitalize YOLO. Also you forgot to include a smiling emoji. -5pts

What is this, 2014? Get with it, gramps.

 

[drifter]

And do they use "kee" or "kwish" as the first part?

I'll pronounce it kee-oh-tic, kee-sho-tic, or even Patr_Thom's "kicksotic", but never "kwiksotic". Mostly because it pisses off the Kwikshot fanboys. I never even really thought about this until Grue brought it up, but doing some research on it brought me to some forums where people got sent into a frothing rage over the usage of kee-oh-tic. LOL

Or maybe I'll use Quijotesco to piss off the English Only faction.

Hey, you're the one hung up on "correct pronunciation," you tell me!

Bonus fun fact: quixote is taken from the French word cuisse, or cuish. So you could go either kweesotic or kweeshotic and stay true to the original French. But then that's taken from the old French word cuissot, so maybe it should be kweesoic. But then that is taken from the Latin root coxa. Cocksatic?

 

[Sara_2814]

Hey, you're the one hung up on "correct pronunciation," you tell me!

Bonus fun fact: quixote is taken from the French word cuisse, or cuish. So you could go either kweesotic or kweeshotic and stay true to the original French. But then that's taken from the old French word cuissot, so maybe it should be kweesoic. But then that is taken from the Latin root coxa. Cocksatic?

How am I "hung up"? Grue asked. I gave my personal preference and why. I have never said other pronunciations are wrong, only why I pronounce it the way I do. I sincerely do not give a fuck how others pronounce it. But obviously some people care deeply about my preference, judging by the Rules Nazi posts. I poked fun at those posts and apparently hit a nerve. Whatever, pronounce it however you want, I'm not sure why my pronunciation even matters so much to anyone beyond Grue's curiosity.

 

[Sara_2814]

What is this, 2014? Get with it, gramps.

Do we say Grammar Hydra instead of Grammar Nazi now?

 

[drifter]

I have never said other pronunciations are wrong

I'm going to continue to err on the side of not deliberately pronouncing people's names completely wrong.

Oh, I think you care a little

Double bonus fun fact: I mostly was just interested in looking up why quixotic is pronounced the way it is, and also found the etymology interesting, but the "Rules Nazi" swipe is amusingly ironic given you think kwiksotic is completely unacceptable.

 

[Officer_Charon]

ITT, Quixotic is the new steak-pizza.

 

[Gruebeard]

ITT, Quixotic is the new steak-pizza.

Mmmm. Steak pizza

 

[GasBandit]

That's never occurred to me... I've always said the name "Key-ho-tay" but the adjective "quick-sotic."

 

[strawman]

Correctly.

 

[PatrThom]

I'm of the opinion that trying to get everyone to agree on the same pronunciation of "Quixotic" is that type of endeavor where it's obvious to everyone (except you) that success is unlikely no matter how consistently you try.

--Patrick

 

[Officer_Charon]

So.... something of a quixotic endeavor?

 

[drifter]

You mean quixotic?

 

[Hailey Knight]

I've been pronouncing it the first way in the my head because I didn't realize it was derived from Don Quixote. I will endeavor to pronounce it correctly going forward.

I can change! Really!

 

[PatrThom]

So.... something of a quixotic endeavor?

You mean quixotic?

*guys

--Patrick

 

[sixpackshaker]

About 20 years ago there seemed to be a push to start pronouncing Spanish place names in proper Spanish. Not in the Anglicized manner they have been for 170 years. My brother started saying San Jacinto, the battle where Texas won its independence, the Spanish way. I had to correct him that the English speakers won the war. And the winners can decide how to pronounce the place any way they want to.

 

[netsirk]

I like and appreciate you for this post alone. The third-person plural, the italics, the capitalization of proper nouns, etc. Please stay.

Oh, I'm usually here (which sounds way creepier than I meant it). In fact, I'm a serial lurker hailing back from the old Image boards, if you can believe it! I just post rather infrequently.

ITT, Quixotic is the new steak-pizza.

To be discussed while looking at a map of Acapulco, sitting on the toilet and pondering the correct way to wipe?

I've been pronouncing it the first way in the my head because I didn't realize it was derived from Don Quixote. I will endeavor to pronounce it correctly going forward. I can change! Really!

If you're already pronouncing it "quicks-otic" either inside or outside your head, you're already using the commonly accepted pronunciation!

About 20 years ago there seemed to be a push to start pronouncing Spanish place names in proper Spanish. Not in the Anglicized manner they have been for 170 years. My brother started saying San Jacinto, the battle where Texas won its independence, the Spanish way. I had to correct him that the English speakers won the war. And the winners can decide how to pronounce the place any way they want to.

I'm from New England; the rules of pronunciation vs phonetic spelling frequently go out the window here! I enjoy the evolving pronunciation of place names, such as "Los Angeles" (a place I have not yet personally visited, but I have watched a fair number of Zorro serials and Dragnet episodes, which clearly makes me an expert). That one started as legit Spanish "Loce ANN-heh-les," was officially declared Anglicized to "Loss An-juh-less" in 1934 (with a re-vote in the 50s), but has also traveled to the land of hard Gs ("Loss ANG-el-ess,") and has also flirted with less desirable rhyming associations (if you please, "Los Angeles" shouldn't rhyme with "fleas"). If I ever visit, I'm playing it safe and calling it LA!

 

[GasBandit]

I'm from New England; the rules of pronunciation vs phonetic spelling frequently go out the window here! I enjoy the evolving pronunciation of place names, such as "Los Angeles" (a place I have not yet personally visited, but I have watched a fair number of Zorro serials and Dragnet episodes, which clearly makes me an expert). That one started as legit Spanish "Loce ANN-heh-les," was officially declared Anglicized to "Loss An-juh-less" in 1934 (with a re-vote in the 50s), but has also traveled to the land of hard Gs ("Loss ANG-el-ess,") and has also flirted with less desirable rhyming associations (if you please, "Los Angeles" shouldn't rhyme with "fleas"). If I ever visit, I'm playing it safe and calling it LA!

I insist on pronouncing it the way Bugs Bunny did.

(both with a hard G *and* rhyming with fleas)



Alba-coy-kie and la JOE la notwithstanding.