Fun fact: “nuclear” ultimately comes from the Latin nucula, ‘little nut’. The c and l being adjacent is the result of metathesis, similar to pronouncing “ask” as “ax”.
I can’t find much on where the -culus suffix originated, which seams to be the the place we would want to look if trying to tie the pronunciation of nuclear to the earliest etymological root.
Start pronouncing it ‘nucular’, there’s no bigger turn off.
Fun fact: “nuclear” ultimately comes from the Latin nucula, ‘little nut’. The c and l being adjacent is the result of metathesis, similar to pronouncing “ask” as “ax”.
Now go further back. Where does the latin word nucula come from?
went further back lol
Latin: Nux - nut nuculus - diminutive of nut (“little nut”)
Proto-Indo-European: kneu - nut
I can’t find much on where the -culus suffix originated, which seams to be the the place we would want to look if trying to tie the pronunciation of nuclear to the earliest etymological root.
Did I ax you?
RIGHT?! I’m glad I’m not the only one. It’s based on the term NUCLEUS ffs.
Common misconception but it’s actually based on Saint Nukulus, the guy that puts uranium in your boots if you leave them out overnight.
Did you know he was a real-life engineer in ancient Turducky?
nuculus*
🥺
Now, to be fair, nucleus it comes from the latin nuculus. It just that it sounds bad and feels bad to say
Noooooo my whole worldviewww
Yes officer, she touched my nuculus.
Nuculeus
😩
Nuculeuslear