"Stanley A. Wickman" wrote: > > > BTW, the word being pronounced "shad" or "chad," is "shard (Scherbe)." > In my Merriam-Webster 7th edition, shard is defined as a piece or > fragment of a brittle (sproede) substance, broadly: a small piece (klein > Stueck). > One more note. To me, the mispronunciation being repeated by nearly everyone who discusses the subject demonstrates a certain lack of erudition on the part of the incumbents of positions in which WORDS are the stock in trade! The probable source for this ridiculous circumstance is a person from the southern United States who knew the correct word, knew its meaning, and had no idea that the sound of his/her CORRECT pronunciation sounded so far from the usual. As a matter of fact, to my ears, the accent of New Englanders could have produced a similar misapprehension. I am unhappy because these elements of current daily life in the USA are not part of my American Dream. Stan from Livonia, MI