Dropping the Final Consonant: French and English

A French-speaking friend was complaining that English people drop their Ts. They say many people on the European continent feel this way. 

The technical term is 't-glotalling/glotallisation'. This is when the T is replaced with a glottal stop in the middle or at the end of the word. (Say "Uh oh" and in the middle is a sound that happens at the back of the throat.) In some people, though, there is no glottal stop: the T is actually dropped. 

Now, in French, the last letter is dropped if it is a single consonant (called a final consonant drop). So, French speakers are complaining about something that English speakers do, even though it's something French speakers do, too! 

Why Dislike English T-Glotalling?

So, let's look at the possible reasons why.

The French started dropping the final consonant between 1300 and 1500 C.E. The English T-glottaling started in 1800 C.E. 

     (Why did this happen? French was influenced by Frankish, a Germanic language. The way the Franks stressed their words led to a loss of syllables. This led to French dropping their final consonant.)

     So, in French, their consonant drop has happened since time immemorial, giving it legitimacy. Meanwhile, the English change is much more recent. 

     Language, like politics, religion or any other social institution, is conservative by nature. Consequentally, change is problematic. French is a highly conservative language so no wonder they turn their nose up at 'recent' changes like the t-glotalling.

     But at what point in time is the cut off between what's established and what's innovation? 

     Also, why are the French allowed to arbitrate that decision? French and English is a different language. (Not to mention it's in the Germanic family as opposed to the Romance family of France. France may have influenced English vocabulary but that gives it no rights to control it.)

This English drop/glotalling only happens with the letter T in English. It's limited, an exception to the general rule. 

     The French consonant drop applies to almost every final consonant. It's the general rule. 

     So if the English process breaks the general rule but the French process is the general rule, the complaint isn't about the t-glotalling. No, it's about breaking the rules and, when it comes to linguistics, the French are very conservative: breaking the rules is unacceptable. 

     However, the rules around the French final single consonant drop aren't as clear cut. Which letters and situations applies on has changed over time in an organic manner. Why can't the rules of English also do so in an organic manner? The t-glotalling is an organic part of English, so it's just as much a rule of English as the final single consonant drop is to French.

What else explains the French speaker's dislike of English speakers 'dropping' the T?

     In most English cases, the T is replaced by a glotal stop, not dropped. Hence it isn't equivalent to the French consonant drop, so complaining about the missing consonant in one language isn't the same as complaining about it in another. 

     But my friend said the complaints are specifically about the 'dropped' letter. Dropped letters and replaced letters are very different things. So this reasoning can't be it.

Furthermore, many English speakers view the t-glotalling as an incorrect use of language. 

     Putting the glotal stop in there is considered a lazy way of speaking (even though a glotal stop is harder to pronounce than a T). To French speakers, their final consonant drop is a correct use of language. 

     So they're just holding English speakers to the same standards: follow the rules! 

     But there's no rule against changing the sound of letters (whether to another letter or to silence). If there were, France would be identical to its ancestral form. Which it certainly is not.

Final Thoughts

So. 

     My friend, a French speaker, complained about English dropping their Ts. Even though French speakers actually drop their Ts and English speakers (on the whole) don't actually drop their Ts but rather replace them with a glotal stop. 

     So not only was this French speaker complaining about something English speakers don't do but, even if English did do it, these French speakers would be complaining about something they do themselves. 

     It's a tad hypocritical. 

     I always look at logic when critiquing something or having a general discussion. Noticing contradictions in people's attitudes and arguments is an important tool of logic. I like to see the reasons people have actually lead to the conclusion people hold as opinion.  

     I never expected to defend a feature of the English language, let alone as aspect of which I'm not particularly fond. Yet contradictions, reason and logic are present in all aspects of life. If you're committed to them (like I am), you can't ignore them just because it's something you don't care for.