English: entourage (pronunciation)

[Martoo]

Hi everybody, recently I've found this word "entourage" and heard the pronunciation in the dictionary. Noticed that had a pronunciation similar to "massage" (speaking mainly of the end of the word) and not like others words as 'rampage', 'sabotage', 'vintage' or simply 'age'.
I know that massage is a word taked from the French but I would like to know if the same happens with "entourage".

Thanks!

 

[Agró]

UK:*/ˈɒnturɑːʒ/
US:/ˌɑntʊˈrɑʒ/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(än′tŏŏ räzh′)

Etimology

• French, equivalent. to entour(er) to surround (derivative of entour around, equivalent. to en in + tour circuit; see tour) + -age -age
• 1825–35

 

[elroy]

not like others words as 'rampage', 'sabotage', 'vintage' or simply 'age'.

"sabotage" works like "massage" and "entourage."

sabotage/massage/entourage /ɑ:ʒ/
rampage/age /eɪdʒ/
vintage /ədʒ/

 

[Martoo]

"sabotage" works like "massage" and "entourage."

OH Always thought (and pronounced) that sabotage sounded like "age"

thanks!

 

[gburtonio]

In more recent French loans like 'sabotage', 'massage' and 'entourage', the [aʒ] pronunciation is preserved. In older loans like 'vintage', 'age', 'language' the pronunciation tends to be /eɪdʒ/ or /ɪdʒ/ / /ədʒ/. There are three possible pronunciations of 'garage', though.

Nigel Farage was once criticised by David Cameron for pronuncing his name in a "poncey, foreign-sounding" way (i.e. /ɑ:ʒ/).

 

[berndf]

In older loans

Yes, <-age> = /-eɪdʒ/ is the result of the great vowel shift and applies to older loans dating back to Middle English or Early Modern English.

 

[elroy]

There are three possible pronunciations of 'garage', though.

I know /ɑ:ʒ/ and /ədʒ/. What's the third?

 

[berndf]

I know /ɑ:ʒ/ and /ədʒ/. What's the third?

/-ɑ:ʒ/ with stress on the first or the second syllable. /-ədʒ/ only with stress on the first syllable.

 

[elroy]

I thought @gburtonio meant three different pronunciations of the -age.

I didn't know /-ɑ:ʒ/ with first-syllable stress was a thing! That feels like it violates English phonotactics!

 

[AndrasBP]

"Outrage" is an interesting example because it's a very old French loan from the 13th century, so it "should" be pronounced /ˈaʊtrɪdʒ/ or /'aʊtrədʒ/, but the pronunciation later changed to /'aʊtreɪdʒ/ when speakers reanalysed the word as "out" + "rage".

 

[elroy]

The pronunciation of "outrage" is explained by @gburtonio's observation:

In older loans like 'vintage', 'age', 'language' the pronunciation tends to be /eɪdʒ/ or /ɪdʒ/ / /ədʒ/.

Do you disagree with him?

 

[berndf]

"Outrage" is an interesting example because it's a very old French loan from the 13th century, so it "should" be pronounced /ˈaʊtrɪdʒ/ or /'aʊtrədʒ/, but the pronunciation later changed to /'aʊtreɪdʒ/ when speakers reanalysed the word as "out" + "rage".

/-eɪdʒ/ is only in old loans. Stress on the first syllable may but not necessarily does lead to a reduced vowels in the second syllable.

 

[Martoo]

the pronunciation tends to be /eɪdʒ/ or /ɪdʒ/ / /ədʒ/. There are three possible pronunciations of 'garage', though.

Curious...and what about the pronunciation with "æʃ"? -> like occurs in the word ash (please ignore the sound of the vowel, I only refer to the sh)

That seems the common way to pronunciate that word in spanish (at least in my country )

 

[jimquk]

"Outrage" is an interesting example because it's a very old French loan from the 13th century, so it "should" be pronounced /ˈaʊtrɪdʒ/ or /'aʊtrədʒ/, but the pronunciation later changed to /'aʊtreɪdʒ/ when speakers reanalysed the word as "out" + "rage".

Also the meaning has been influenced by that re-analysis: in French the word is based on outre, = beyond, and might be calqued as "beyondage", ie going beyond limits, transgression. But I don't think that French carries the connotation of rage that seems clear in English.

 

[AndrasBP]

The pronunciation of "outrage" is explained by @gburtonio's observation: Do you disagree with him?

I wouldn't say his post explains why 'outrage' is different from other two- or three-syllable words ending in -age, such as:
courage, message, village, manage, image, savage, voyage, hostage, baggage, average, heritage, beverage, etc.

(cage, page, stage only have one syllable)

 

[gburtonio]

I wouldn't say his post explains why 'outrage' is different from other two- or three-syllable words ending in -age, such as:
courage, message, village, manage, image, savage, voyage, hostage, baggage, average, heritage, beverage, etc.

(cage, page, stage only have one syllable)

The expected pronunciation is /ɪdʒ/ (or /ədʒ/) in 2+ syllable words. This also happens in modern neologisms like 'wattage'. The explanation given above for the /eɪdʒ/ pronunciation in 'outrage' seems convincing to me. 'Rampage' is different. It started off as a verb (attested from 1692), of uncertain etymological origin. According to the OED, as a verb it can be stressed on the second syllable, although I have never heard this pronunciation; the OED states that the stress in early use is uncertain. In any case, it's not a -age noun loan from French like the others, which probably helps explain the /eɪdʒ/ pronunciation (particularly if the stress started off on the second syllable).

Are there other 2+ syllable -age words with the unexpected /eɪdʒ/ pronunciation? I can't think of any.

 

[berndf]

Are there other 2+ syllable -age words with the unexpected /eɪdʒ/ pronunciation? I can't think of any.

It has nothing to do with being 1 or 2 syllable but with stress pattern. It the -age rhyme carries primary stress, it is regularly /-eɪdʒ/; if not then the vowel is mostly reduced but not always.

In ME, outrage probably originally had 3 syllables (/oʊtrɑːdʒə/, /oʊtrɑːdʒi/ or /uːtrɑːdʒə/, /uːtrɑːdʒi/ in some regions) with only the 3rd syllable being fully unstressed. /eɪ/ is the regular late ModE outcome of ME /ɑː/.

Even if the third syllable had already been mute at the time of the loan from French/Anglo-French the /ɑː/ wouldn't necessarily have been reduced. Maybe similar to pronunciations in modern English loans from French like garage = /ˈɡæɹɑːʒ/.

 

[gburtonio]

It has nothing to do with being 1 or 2 syllable but with stress pattern. It the -age rhyme carries primary stress, it is regularly /-eɪdʒ/; if not then the vowel is mostly reduced but not always.

Yes, I realise that. I just wrote 2+ to exclude single-syllable words where 'age' can only carry primary stress and /-eɪdʒ/ is therefore the expected pronunciation. I'm curious about the 'but not always' words – are there others apart from 'outrage' and 'rampage'?