Know Your English (July 2001)

Know your English

How is the word ``dilettante'' pronounced?

* The `i' in the first syllable and the final ``e'' are pronounced like the `i' in `pit', `sit', and `hit'. The vowel ``e'' in the second syllable is like the ``a'' in ``china''. Some people pronounce the ``a'' like the `a' in `act', `pact', and `hat'. Others pronounce it like the ``a'' in ``bath'' and ``path'' (British English). The main stress is on the third syllable. Any idea what the word means? Well, a `dilettante' is someone who tries to cultivate an area of interest without really making the necessary commitment. The person may do a course in painting for example, without taking the subject seriously. He merely dabbles in the subject. Here are a few examples.
* I wouldn't take him too seriously. He is a musical dilettante.
* He often refers to his writings as the musings of a dilettante.
* The critics, as expected, did not take the young dilettante poet seriously.

Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, July17, 2001

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