"If gondola were a disease, and if a scrofula were a beautiful boat peculiar to a beautiful city, the effect of each word would be exactly the reverse of what it is. The appropriately beautiful or ugly sound of any word is an illusion wrought on us by what the word connotes."The post at Language Log discusses this topic with much greater detail (and insight). Before leaving the subject, I'll just agree with Woody Allen and Erma Bombeck that the most beautiful words are "It's benign."
06 March 2010
Pondering the beauty of words
Responding to a NYT article discussing "cellar door" as being among the most beautiful words or phrases in English, an article at Language Log responds with a quotation from Max Beerbohm:
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