pronunciation of -ed ending in singing

m. j. kim   Tue Oct 25, 2005 5:20 am GMT
I heard a chorus pronounce the words "called," tellest," "reigneth" and "revealed" with an added sylable like "cal-led," "tel-lest," "reig-neth" and "revea-led" respectively. Is there any rule to pronounce such words like these in singing or poet recitation?
Jim   Tue Oct 25, 2005 6:52 am GMT
No rule besides whatever fits the rhythm and only add the extra syllable if you want to sound archaic. However, "tellest" and "reigneth" are two syllable words anyway.
Guest   Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:17 pm GMT
Listen to Haendel's Messiah. They pronounce it with the extra syllable.
Uriel   Thu Oct 27, 2005 3:26 am GMT
It's an archaic pronunciation. You'll see it in Shakespeare as well. But it isn't used much in modern English. The only examples I can think of off the top of my head that retain it are "learned" (as in "scholarly", NOT as in the past tense of learn) and "beloved". There are probably a few more, but no more than a handful.
Lazar   Thu Oct 27, 2005 3:50 am GMT
<<You'll see it in Shakespeare as well.>>

Yeah, he used a grave accent (e.g. "destroyèd") to show where you should pronounce "ed" as a full syllable.
Jim   Thu Oct 27, 2005 4:10 am GMT
Did he use the accent or was it addèd later?
Uriel   Thu Oct 27, 2005 4:16 am GMT
Very clever, Jim ;)