either/neither

"the unnatural pronunciation ither and nither is to be traced back to George I's (Reign: August 1, 1714 – June 11, 1727) ignorance of the English language...that George I handled the English language, which he learned late, clumsily (because of which he had no interest in English literature), is well known. He pronounced the words either and neither in the German fashion, which the courtiers, not to correct the King, took over and put into currency...The Oxford Dictionary, in its volume of 1907, still gives it second place, remarking that, though it is not in accordance with with the analogues of Standard English, it is in London somewhat more prevalent in educated speech than is eether."
-On the Pronunciation of "Either" and "Neither," American Speech, Louise Pound, 1932.