Why are there two g's in "suggest"?

[conuly]

Logically speaking, shouldn't that spelling result in the pronunciation "sug jest" instead of "suh jest"? What the heck is that extra g doing there? Twiddling its thumbs? Picking its nose? Doing the hula? Plotting world domination via illogical orthography?

Interestingly, etymonline.com says that it's from the past participle of "suggerere", which looks like somebody hiccuped while typing. Or speaking, the Romans not having keyboards.

Edit: I now have three comments going "But I do say it that way". For two of you, please confirm: That's sug jest, with the g as in girl?

I've never, ever, ever heard it that way, but assuming that this pronunciation didn't spring up because of the spelling (which is why Brits now say the H in "herb") it all makes sense now!

Merriam-Webster includes that pronunciation, but the OED doesn't.

Comments

[redbird]

Trying to teach etymology, a style of spelling that apparently seemed like a good idea at the time, and also gives us (for example) the b in "dumb."

[conuly]

God, I wish people would actually teach etymology if they keep on insisting on using that argument.

But nothing, and I mean nothing, bothers me so much as the s in island. The b in dumb at least has precedent in lamb and climb, where we can just say "mb at the end of a word means m", but the s in island is completely unpredictable and also isn't even based on real etymology to begin with!

/rantrantyrantrant

[steorra]

(I am amused that that last line contains the string "tyrant" :-) )

[conuly]

Now I'll never be able to not see that. Darn it! Darn you, you darn dirty commenter!

[dragonwolf]

the s in island is completely unpredictable and also isn't even based on real etymology to begin with!

What about isle and islet?

I'm no etymology expert, so this may be way off, but according to etymology.com, "spelling modified 15c. by association with similar but unrelated isle."

Isle and islet have their origins in French, which is notorious for not pronouncing half of the letters in a given word (to be fair, there are probably rules around French pronunciations, but I don't speak French, so I don't know said rules).

On a kinda-sorta-not really related note, aisle is another one with a silent s (though it does also have its roots in French).

[conuly]

Yes, note the word unrelated.

[dragonwolf]

They might be unrelated, but according to Merriam-Webster, they are synonyms. Therefore, it makes sense in an "it seemed like a good idea at the time" sort of way.

[conuly]

Yes, it does make sense, but it still bugs the crap out of me. (Then again, I don't like meaningless silent letters to begin with.)

[conuly]

I'm not being snide at you, I'm just pissy about the spelling.