| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
|
7. Pronunciation Challenges: Confusions and Controversy
|
| § 7. -age |
This noun suffix appears in many words that are borrowed from French, such as barrage (a dam), barrage (heavy artillery fire; an outpouring), damage, espionage, garage, heritage, homage, language, manage, marriage, personage, reportage, sabotage, umbrage, usage, visage, voyage. The pronunciation of -age in these words can range from (-äzh) to (-äj) to (- j) depending on the degree to which the pronunciation has become Anglicized. In words formed in English on the same model, such as luggage, poundage, orphanage, parsonage, breakage, and wreckage, the pronunciation of -age is always (-j). | 1 |
|
|
|
| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
|
|
