Ninja's English Usage Advice Column

If you're like me, you have often wondered why, even though you have seen this word from time to time in print, you have never actually heard it. I say if you are like me because you may actually know how to pronounce victuals and you are snickering in a knowing superior way as you read this. Before now, I would never have attempted to say this word out loud because I learned my lesson at a very early age. I noticed a hero in a book I was reading was named Prince Stephen. Step Hen. Imagine my humilation when my own cousin looked at me with a mixture of shock and insult and informed me that this was the same spelling of his name, thank you very much, and was prounounced Steeeevin. And what about dingy which I persisted in prounouncing as ding ee perhaps until I was an adult? I admit it. I was too lazy to look it up and just let a phrase like the dingy, dank room remain mysterious or a reference to something from the sea. (That's the dinghy that's prounouned ding ee). Thank goodness that I have changed my irresponsible ways.

First, we should get the meaning of this word out of the way. Victuals means food or provisions, especially food meant for people. So let me tell you how I think it is supposed to be prounounced (and it seems that I am not alone in this): vick two alls or if I say it faster: vickchewls. You may be very surprised as I was to learn that this word should be pronounced: vitilz. vittles. Listen to it yourself: victual. Now vittles, by the way, is an valid alternate, and I think, more reasonable spelling.

I think I only ever heard this word used on The Beverly Hillbillies. (Didn't Jed often tell Granny to put them vittles on the table?) Or Hee Haw. Its etymology is from Middle French adopted into Middle English originating from the Latin victus meaning nourishment. Who knew?

And it may interest you to know that someone who provides victuals is known as a victualler and that this is pronounced as vittler

If you have similiar stories about your disconnect between a word you saw in print and how you misprounounced it - I invite you to let me know about it. Let us share your pain.

# posted by Ninja @ 10:49 PM