What does `sotto voce' mean?
(Pradeep Kumar, Allahabad)
First, let's deal with the pronunciation. The first `o' in `sotto' sounds like the `o' in `hot', `pot', and `got'. The second `o' and the `o' in `voce' sound like the `o' in `go', `no', and `so'; the `c' is like the `ch' in `chick', `chips', and `chin'. The `e' is like the `i' in `bit', `kit', and `sit', and the main stress is on the first syllable of `voce'. The Italian expression is pronounced `so-toe voechi'. `Sotto' means `under' and `voce' means `voice'; when you say something `sotto voce', you say it under your breath or as an aside.
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"I was always taught to respect my elders, and I've now reached the age when I don't have anyone to respect." George Burns
S. UPENDRAN
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