american english and nz english

 Speaking with a few co-workers, we diverged onto the discussion of “correct” pronounciation and “correct” spelling of English. As we are all products of colonies in some fashion or another, we would only be incorrect in whatever our response would be; however I find a few parts of the discussion to warrant some further research. Of particular interest to me is the pronounciation of “fillet” or in some spellings, “filet”, which brings me to this: in America you order a filet (or even spelled fillet) of fish, and this has the pronounciation of “fil-A”, while in New Zealand you order a “fil-let” of fish.

Meriam-Webster says, “Etymology: Middle English filet, from Anglo-French, diminutive of fil thread, from Latin filum”. In Middle English there was a word spelled “filet”, which is derived from Latin.

Here is what Etymology Online says about “filet”, “1841, reborrowing from Fr. of the same word that had been taken 14c. and Anglicized as fillet (q.v.). Filet mignon first recorded in Eng. 1906 in writings of O. Henry.”.

Dictionary.Com says this the following about “fillet’ that for definition #1 and #10,  which is (1) a. a boneless cut of fish or meat, and (10) to cut or prepare  (meat or fish) as a filet, that the way to pronounce this is, “usually fi-ley for 1, 10). 

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Originally published on truman.net. See the archived copy.