Edit: I feel like I should clarify my question a little bit. I've been get a lot of answers about the etymological background of lieutenant. That's all fine and good, except my original question was were the pronunciation "leftenant" came from. And to go further, why did the Americans adopt or keep using "loo-tenant." I guess the answer to which depends on which pronunciation you think came first.
Not that I don't like the answers about where "lootenant" came from, but they're making it hard to sift through the other answers, which are far less numerous.
Thank-you.
Hello everyone,
In this thread, there have been a large number of incorrect, speculative, or otherwise disallowed comments, and as such, they were removed by the mod-team. Please, before you attempt answer the question, keep in mind our rules concerning in-depth and comprehensive responses. Answers that do not meet the standards we ask for will be removed.
Additionally, it is unfair to the OP to further derail this thread with off topic conversation, so if anyone has further questions or concerns, I would ask that they be directed to modmail, or a META thread. Thank you!