2007-07-11 00:23:03 · 4 answers · asked by spice 5 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
You mean "If words have silent letters. . . ." I think.
This is the evolution of language.
LIGHT used to be said /li-ch (like a cat's hiss) -/t
Liccchhhht.
So as the language developed the cchhhh sound disappeared but the /gh/ stayed.
Spanish is well-rid of silent letters except in 'borrowed' words from other languages.
When an orthography is made for an unwritten language, the orthographists (spelling-deciders) avoid 'silent letters' and a newly written language (usually a tribal or indigenous) is easy to 'read' (with or without understanding). English was written down centuries - nay millenia ago.
French has LOTS of silent letters too.
2007-07-11 01:02:57 · answer #1 · answered by thisbrit 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They have them to make the word look more complete, and thats how the alphabet evolved over time.
I have an issue with the person below me, because spanish do have a silent letter. The letter is "H" such as in "Historia" it should be pronounced "istoria" with out the "H" sound!
SO HA! YAY!
2007-07-11 11:10:08 · answer #2 · answered by mariah s 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They weren't always silent; the language has evolved over time...
2007-07-11 01:35:44 · answer #3 · answered by applebetty34 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Silence is golden.
2007-07-11 01:09:29 · answer #4 · answered by jsardi56 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋