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How to pronounce "Hopetoun"?

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Kelly

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Jul 4, 2012, 4:55:56 PM7/4/12
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Hello group, does anybody know how to pronounce "Hopetoun"? I've seen it pronounced as Hope-town and Hope-tn, and would love clarification.

For context, I'm referring to the seventh Earl of Hopetoun, who was born at Hopetoun House, South Queensferry, Scotland.

Thanks. :)

James Hogg

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Jul 4, 2012, 5:53:36 PM7/4/12
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Kelly wrote:
> Hello group, does anybody know how to pronounce "Hopetoun"? I've seen it pronounced as Hope-town and Hope-tn, and would love clarification.

Daniel Jones, in his English Pronouncing Dictionary, cites both those
forms as equally common.

--
James

Jack Campin

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Jul 4, 2012, 8:25:01 PM7/4/12
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HOPE-toon. "Toun" is always pronounced "toon".

Hope-tn might just about be acceptable in Scotland in some contexts,
but "Hopetown" is way off, we'd never say that.

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James Hogg

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Jul 5, 2012, 4:45:44 AM7/5/12
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Jack Campin wrote:
>> Hello group, does anybody know how to pronounce "Hopetoun"? I've seen
>> it pronounced as Hope-town and Hope-tn, and would love clarification.
>>
>> For context, I'm referring to the seventh Earl of Hopetoun, who was
>> born at Hopetoun House, South Queensferry, Scotland.
>
> HOPE-toon. "Toun" is always pronounced "toon".
>
> Hope-tn might just about be acceptable in Scotland in some contexts,

When I phone Hopetoun House just now, a lady with a lovely Scottish
accent answered "Hope-tn House, good morning".

--
James

musika

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Jul 5, 2012, 6:47:28 AM7/5/12
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Debrett's has Hope-town.
--
Ray
UK

James Hogg

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Jul 5, 2012, 7:07:07 AM7/5/12
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When we went on to discuss the pronunciation, the young lady used the
careful HOPE-toon that Jack says. So the choice at Hopetoun is between
those two. I wonder if the Earl himself says Hope-town? It wasn't him
that answered the phone, as I had hoped.

--
James

musika

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Jul 5, 2012, 7:25:13 AM7/5/12
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Indeed. My first reaction would be Hope-tn for the peerage and Hope-toon for
the place i.e depending on whether I had seen "Earl Hopetoun" or "Hopetoun
House" written down.
--
Ray
UK

Glenn Knickerbocker

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Jul 5, 2012, 2:18:59 PM7/5/12
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On 7/4/2012 4:55 PM, Kelly wrote:
> I've seen it pronounced as Hope-town and Hope-tn

You must be a better lip-reader than I am.

ŹR

Mike L

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Jul 5, 2012, 3:48:13 PM7/5/12
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On Thu, 5 Jul 2012 12:25:13 +0100, "musika" <mUs...@SPAMNOTexcite.com>
wrote:
It's always hard to decide, in case of divergence, whether the locals
or the aristos preserve the more authentic pronunciation. Lord
Cranborne, for example, says "Cranb'n", as in "Melb'n" though I've
always heard others using a spelling pronunciation. People I knew who
lived on their long-held family farm in Derbyshire said "Ashb'n", but
I've no idea how Lord Ashbourne pronounces it, but his Ashbourne's in
Ireland anyway. The Spencers of Althorp seem from TV to pronounce it
"Althr'p", and there aren't any locals for comparison because the
village was razed in the 15th Century.

--
Mike.
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