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etymology - How did the pronunciation of the word "derby" evolve?


Brits say "dar-bee" for both the town and the race, but Americans pronounce it as it's spelled.


Did Brits used to say "der-bee" too and that's why it's spelled that way but they changed over time?


Was it always pronounced like in the UK but American pronunciation followed the spelling for some odd reason?


Is it borrowed from some other language so there's a disconnect between the spelling and the UK pronunciation?




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