On the Pronunciation of "Either" and "Neither"

Abstract

INCE AMERICAN SPEECH, now in its seventh volume, was established, many contributors have suggested to me, in private letters or in contributions submitted for print, that the pronunciations eyether and nyether, alongside the older eether and neether and the Irish ayther and nayther, were introduced by British royalty, i.e., by the Georges, who were Hanoverians and pronounced English in the German fashion. The last article reaching me that suggested this origin had: Whereas we in America pronounce either and neither as if the first syllable were spelled with long e's as did the London literati in 1777 (see William Perry's Royal Standard English Dictionary of that date), the English at the present day say eyether and nyether. Is it not possible that in changing the pronunciation of these words they were simply following the German usage in pronouncing ei? The early Georges were very German.