Mutations

Mutations

What do you think of them? Here's one persons view:

"I'm giving up on learning this language", exclaimed the learner, frustrated. "These mutations are doing my head in". "For example,
't' in 'create' becomes 'sh' in 'creation';
'f ' in 'belief' becomes 'v' in believes';
'd' in 'extend' becomes 'sh' in 'extension';
'x' in 'crux' becomes 'sh' in 'crucial';
's' in 'house' becomes 'z' in 'housing'
though sometimes the spelling changes even though the sound doesn't, e.g. 's' and 'c' in 'mouse' and 'mice' respectively".

"While I'm on the subject, what about
the 'd' in 'sound' which disappears in 'sonorous';
the 'pt' in 'receipt' becomes 'v' in receive;
the 'b' in 'prescribe' becomes 'p' in 'prescription';
the 'v' in 'twelve' becomes 'f' in 'twelfth"

"Do you know, I think I'll start learning Welsh". "At least with Welsh the mutations follow clearly defined rules!"

(taken from the WelshLearners e-mail list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WelshLearners/)