Why do old people pronounced "diabetes" lie "diabeetus?"?

Question

Why do they do this?

Answer 1

No, the correct way is Diabetes with the E sound, not the Uh sound. Its just that old people cant say anything right - like, Onyats... wtf is an onyat? And youens, and warsh, like warshington. And I love how they think youre pronouncing it wrong. You can have an accent and not say things that dont make sense.

Answer 2

People over ten years ago pronounced it "diabeetus," as did their doctors. The pronunciation has changed with time, and, after all, we dictate the pronunciation of the language not the other way around.

Ken