Troglodyte
How can I pronounce this word? "Grrrl" I came across this weird but interesting word , "Grrrl" which instantly grabbed my attention due to the three rs that are being sandwiched between g and l. When I carefully listened to the pronunciation, it sounded like "garl". But according to the phonetic transcription it should be: /ɡrrl/. I am a bit confused. Is it the one I perceived i.e., garl? Thank you for your precious time!
Apr 14, 2019 5:46 AM
Answers · 12
3
'Grrrl' is an alternate word for 'girl'. It refers to a woman who is admired for being independent, or creative, or strong. It is pronounced the same as 'girl', but with emphasis on the -ir- part of the word. This emphasis is done by lengthening the -ir-, so that the word takes about 3-4 times as long to say. The reason why it's written with multiple r's is that most of the lengthened -ir- sound is with the 'r'. A couple of other things: There is no difference between 'grrl' and 'grrrl', just alternate spelling. Also, there is another alternate spelling, and that is 'gurl' or 'gurrl'. I suspect that's what you heard.
April 14, 2019
2
It's possible it could be a few things. I would need the context to be sure. It is most likely a phonetic way of saying 'girl', with an exaggerated, and probably rolled 'r' sound.
April 14, 2019
2
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/grrrl In American English, girl and grrrl have the same pronuncation (with a clearly heard [r]). The word grrrl seems to be a 1990s pop culture innovation to create a word with connotations of assertiveness and strength as an alternative to the passive connotations of "girl." In American English, grrrl is pronounced the same as girl [ɡəːrl], not like garl [ɡɑːrl]. The vowel difference is the same difference between the "ger" of hunger and the "gar" of garden.
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Troglodyte
Language Skills
Akan Twi, English, Esperanto, German, Other, Persian (Farsi), Russian, Spanish
Learning Language
Akan Twi, English, Esperanto, German, Persian (Farsi), Russian, Spanish