Hmmm.......I always thought it was pronounced dime, just like a regular dime.
Dictionary says dime also. Never heard of the deem pronounciation before.
"Lenin is certainly right. There is no subtler or more severe means of overturning the existing basis of society(destroy capitalism) than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and it does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose." John Marnard Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace, 1920, page 235ff
According to various coin books I've looked through just now, it is definitely pronounced deem. I'd probably go with the pronunciation given by a numismatic reference over Merriam Webster.
I should also add that Deem was the french pronunciation for the coin and it has been documented that we used this term until we later altered it to Dime. Of course, we have to do everything our own way!
If it's French.......well, that explains everything.
What more is there to say other than damn....err, dime.......err, deem.
"Lenin is certainly right. There is no subtler or more severe means of overturning the existing basis of society(destroy capitalism) than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and it does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose." John Marnard Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace, 1920, page 235ff
Of course its current pronunciation is "Freedom coin." [Speaking of things French I understand if you go to google and place the keywords "French Military Victories" into the search box and then hit "I'm feeling lucky" you would get a response that says, "Do you mean French military defeats, there are no victories." I see now that response has been altered but there still is reference to it as you scroll down.]
Remember that our language originated in Europe with a lot of French in it (among other influences and contributions from Latin, German, Greek, etc). And in Europe an I is pronounced EE. And in this case the S is silent making the pronunciation (phonetically) DEEM.
Tis true but then who would ever guess that Colonel is pronounced kernel when it doesn't even have a freakin R in it. Not to say that it is a U.S. born word but it does illustrate the difficulty that newbies have learning it largely cuz there are more exceptions to the rule than there are rules.
At one time Breen also reported the finding of a poem contemporary to the period in which the word disme was used to rhyme with the word steam. (No I don't have a copy of the stanza refered to.) The term disme was used, at least in internal mint records until 1837.
Interesting thing about colonel. From dictionary.com:
Alteration of obsolete coronel, from French, from Old Italian colonello, from diminutive of colonna, column of soldiers, from Latin columna, column. See kel-2 in Indo-European Roots.
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In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary box, type in disme and click "Look It Up" and there will be a link to the audio
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Dictionary says dime also. Never heard of the deem pronounciation before.
John Marnard Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace, 1920, page 235ff
If it's French.......well, that explains everything.
What more is there to say other than damn....err, dime.......err, deem.
John Marnard Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace, 1920, page 235ff
Deem
Makes sence to me.
I never knew how it sounded. I thought maybe it sounded like diz-me or dis-me.
Walt Dizzme`s Mickey Moose.....
Alteration of obsolete coronel, from French, from Old Italian colonello, from diminutive of colonna, column of soldiers, from Latin columna, column. See kel-2 in Indo-European Roots.