Are we losing our language lickity split? I notice New Zealanders are starting to pronounce route like rout. It is a particularly silly Americanism complete with oppressive religious undertones and small town mores. The mispronunciation clearly comes from a precious reluctance to say root, except in a botanical context. The typical Kiwi male eats roots and leaves, but avoids double entendre preferring mispronunciation instead? For goodness sake people. Route and root are homophones. A rout is a chaotic and disorderly retreat. You may be routed while rooting, if the wrong route is taken, but never surrender your tongue!
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More influence would have come from the geeks with their routers. Root is something completely different in IT-speak. It's a noun and a verb. A sample sentence to explain; Anonymous is rooting state secrecy by gaining access to root directories.
Agree. But did you know State Highway 85 from Palmerston South to Ranfurly is the "Pig Root" and not the "Pig Route?" Apparently pigs were to be seen rooting up there...ie with their snouts.
Faversham
Faversham, Pigroot in this context is written as one word. Pigs do indeed cause cause considerable nuisance rooting in the hill country there. It's surprising how much pasture they can destroy in a short time.
There is no Palmerston South. The town of Palmerston is situated at the eastern end of the Pigroot. I have heard there is a Palmerston North. It is somewhere in the North Island.
I'm just waiting for the newly named petrol station chain to be called "Zee"...I'm ASSUMING it's meant to be "Zed"...???
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