"Colonel" is spelled that way because it is a hybrid word, combining the Italian spelling with a French-influenced pronunciation. Derived from the Italian colonnello (leader of a column), it was adopted into Middle French as coronel, a form that English initially adopted. However, in the 16th century, English printers began using the original Italian spelling colonel, while keeping the French pronunciation ker-nul.
Almost as a nod to the negotiated revolutionary settlement, both “colonel” and “coronel” survived, one in written form, the other spoken. That's how the English language snuck an “r” sound into the pronunciation of “colonel.”
Colonel (/ˈkɜːrnəl/ KUR-nəl; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of a regiment in an army.
“Colonel” came to English from the mid-16th-century French word coronelle, meaning commander of a regiment, or column, of soldiers. By the mid-17th century, the spelling and French pronunciation had changed to colonnel. The English spelling also changed, and the pronunciation was shortened to two syllables.
U.S. military colonels rank above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general. The modern day insignia for a colonel is a silver eagle with a U.S. shield on its chest and holding an olive branch in one talon and a bundle of arrows in the other. The eagle insignia led to the informal term “full-bird colonel.”
In general writing, some words are frequently misspelled, such as the incorrect spelling "concensus" for "consensus" found in numerous webpages. Other common misspellings include "equiptment" (for "equipment"), "independant" (for "independent"), "readible" (for readable), or "usible" (for usable or useable).
Oberst (German pronunciation: [ˈoːbɐst]) is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway.
Even military and veteran are old French terms. It all began with the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, which brought French into rivalry with Old English, the language of pre-Norman England. French became the language of the ruling class, government administration, and the military.
Worcestershire. Worcestershire sauce, a famous English condiment from the county of Worcestershire, has been a staple in kitchens since the early 19th century. ...
The Romans referred to Wednesday as dies Mercurii or “Day of Mercury,” linking it with attributes similar to those associated with Woden. Thus emerged Wōdnesdæg, combining both reverence for their deity and linguistic adaptation.
The basic rule is: “word + time = change.” The initial kn or gn sounds in words like knife, knight, and gnaw were pronounced several hundred years ago. Over time, the sound clusters have simplified into the single /n/ sound that we know (ahem) today.
