Already a subscriber? Log in
Mayoral is almost always yoked with elections, especially with Boris Johnson around. Indeed mayoral and electoral are mispronounced on the same principle, with the stress on the or. That is no doubt an Americanism, but I think it is more often adopted by speakers who do not remember having heard the words pronounced at all. They see it in print often enough and then decide to make up a likely pronunciation.
Mayor has been a monosyllable since the 18th century, and Alexander Pope spelt it May’r lest there be any confusion. Even among those who continued to make it a disyllable, the second syllable was only an indeterminate grunt of a vowel, like the second one in fire when it is broken into two syllables (which the Oxford English Dictionary only countenances in poetry). English rejoices in diphthongs, such as those in boy or high, which by definition each make one syllable. But words like liar contain triphthongs, which beg to be considered as two syllables. It may be tempting to think of lyre as one syllable and liar as two, but most English people pronounce them in the same way. Scots have their own arrangements.
With the less common formation electoral, there is a further temptation to pronounce it as electorial, on the model of directorial. I can’t say that electorial does not exist, but it has not been spotted in bona fide use since 1829, when Kenelm Digby referred to the ‘electorial families of Venice’ in his strange work on chivalry The Broadstone of Honour. A similarly intrusive ‘i’ is often heard in grievous, to make it grievious. The context is usually bodily harm, but the revision of the English translation of the Mass has reintroduced grievous fault to render maxima culpa. Not to be annoyed by other members of the congregation saying ‘through my grievious fault’ is a sort of moral pons asinorum.
Also in Society
Latest
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in