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Chris -- 2025-05-10

#1 2010-06-05 14:06:49

Peter Forster
Eggcornista
From: UK
Registered: 2006-09-06
Posts: 1275

'tintinnitus' for 'tinnitus'

My wife sometimes reminds me that when we met I thought tinnitus was tintinnitus and pronounced it to rhyme with ‘appendicitis,’ making it sound like inflammation of the Hergé character. Many hundreds of others seem to have made the same error; perhaps, like me, they encountered tintinnabulation years before coming across the affliction and simply read an extra tin into it.

My son has had Tintinitus(ringing in his ears) for most of his life. Specialists can not find a reason or cure. Does anyone have a cure for tintinitis? ...

Tintinitis is very irritating at times. It can be caused by lots of things like—a bad ear infection, aspirin , other meds or diseases or loud continuous …

Friends of mine who have tintinnitus without exception describe. It as a “high pitched ringing” in the ears. Nasty stuff, but …

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#2 2010-06-05 15:55:18

kem
Eggcornista
From: Victoria, BC
Registered: 2007-08-28
Posts: 2887

Re: 'tintinnitus' for 'tinnitus'

Don’t know about the auld countrie, but over here those of us in my generation learned the word “tintinnabulation” from the Edgar Allen Poe poem “The Bells.” Later Phil Ochs made it into a song.

Last edited by kem (2014-10-02 14:11:17)


Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.

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#3 2010-06-07 12:28:42

Peter Forster
Eggcornista
From: UK
Registered: 2006-09-06
Posts: 1275

Re: 'tintinnitus' for 'tinnitus'

Ah, Poe’s “Bells” begins to stir the silts of memory – that must be where I got it from too, for I can’t imagine where else I’d have been exposed to it. And thanks for the Ochs link – apart from “There But For Fortune” I know nothing of him.
And I’m suddenly struck by the forbearance of the resident punsters in restraining themselves from speculating on the likely sound of rintintinnitus.

Last edited by Peter Forster (2010-06-07 12:52:37)

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#4 2015-07-11 07:23:13

David Bird
Eggcornista
From: The Hammer, Ontario
Registered: 2009-07-28
Posts: 1710

Re: 'tintinnitus' for 'tinnitus'

Huh, I had no idea. Pronouncing tinnitus to rhyme with bursitis is clearly eggcornish. Who knew. I think if I pronounced it as tinnitous, no one here would understand me.

This morning on the radio the announcer pronounced it something like tonightus. No hits in that form, but some may be making a connection to tone. Maybe.

http://www.native-instruments.com/forum … 192/page-2
John, if you have Tonitus you would know it. When you lay in bed at night you would hear it very clearly EVERY night. I can’t sleep without white noise. My Tonitus is so bad that it literally wakes me up from sleep sometimes.

https://twitter.com/hashtag/percproblems
You know you are a true band nerd when you know the pitch of your chronic case of tonitus

http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/commen … md_r9_280/
It sounds like I have tonitis or something whenever my computer is on.

https://www.gigsalad.com/milonga_spokane
Milonga’s original trumpet player, Steve Mauer, who had developed a mean case of tonitis

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#5 2015-07-11 11:57:35

kem
Eggcornista
From: Victoria, BC
Registered: 2007-08-28
Posts: 2887

Re: 'tintinnitus' for 'tinnitus'

M-W gives TIN-uh-tuss as the preferred pronunciation. I think they are wrong. Tin-EYE-tuhs is all I’ve ever heard. Captain Kirk has our back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7bL9BhESYA


Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.

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