Please help with English pronunciation survey
neil...@my-deja.com
English words. Responses so far are almost all Americans and Canadians,
so I really need the input of some U.K. speakers of English. It would
greatly assist if you could be sure to indicate your county as well as
your city or town in the places indicated.
The survey takes about 2-3 minutes and there is a little incentive
also. One lucky participant will win a $20 gift certificate for books
from Chapters.ca.
The page to go to is
http://www.languagestore.com/survey?ng
The results will be available after April 1, 2000, at the same page.
Thank-you for your help.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Christine Stibbe
Michael Donn schrieb:
> I suspect that the reasons you received no response from UK include
> the feeling among some that "there is really only one way to speak -
> my way" and "I don't want to display my lower-class accent".
> Americans and Canadians either are curious or want the prize.
I am an expatriate Brit living in Germany and have answered the questionnaire
(wasnt sure I was entitled to as an expat - but then UK English IS my native
language). I agree that there is a lot of class consciousness tied up with
pronunciation in UK - even in the year 2000 - much more so than in USA or
Canada. Plenty of people in UK still feel that there is a "right" or
"standard" way to pronounce certain words but that they themselves fail to
meet that standard! So it stands to reason they would be "wary" of answering a
pronunciation questionnaire!
But I was brave enough to do it and display all my class insecurities - LOL!
So hopefully others will, too!
Christine
st...@tropheus.demon.co.uk
<mi...@telisphere.com> wrote:
>
>I suspect that the reasons you received no response from UK include
>the feeling among some that "there is really only one way to speak -
>my way" and "I don't want to display my lower-class accent".
>Americans and Canadians either are curious or want the prize.
"My way" is different to most of the people I work with. I'm from a
different area of the UK to the others. We are all the same class but
speak with different accents. I suspect that the reason we haven't
filled in the survey is that we aren't a survey sensitive community.
Steve
--
Steve Wolstenholme
Neural Network Applications for Windows
http://www.tropheus.demon.co.uk
Matthew M. Huntbach
> I am currently doing a web-based survey on pronuciation of certain
> English words.
For the benefits of anyone wondering, it's about the long-u sound
and whether it's pronounced as "you" or "oo".
In the UK, the pronunciation of e.g. "news" as "nooz" is a sort of
East Anglian thing, I believe. But it reaches as far as London. It's
a good way of distinguishing genuine Cockney (which is East London)
from south London colloquial. You'll often hear Cockneys say "nooz",
but I don' think you'll hear it from south Londoners.
Matthew Huntbach
K. Edgcombe
>> I suspect that the reasons you received no response from UK include
>> the feeling among some that "there is really only one way to speak -
>> my way" and "I don't want to display my lower-class accent".
>> Americans and Canadians either are curious or want the prize.
>
Perhaps there was no UK response because not many UK residents had seen it.
This newsgroup article was certainly the first time I'd seen it. I don't
believe UK residents are more insecure about the way they speak than other
English speakers; most of those with "lower-class" or regional accents these
days take some pride in them.
I answered the survey but found it rather difficult, because in the main I
simply don't react to pronunciations in the ways suggested. I don't think I've
ever "admired" a pronunciation in my life; if it matches what I expect, I take
no notice of it. Conversely a pronunciation which is different from mine is
either completely neutral, or causes me to note (without emotional overtones)
that the speaker is, for instance, American, or may simply surprise me.
Several of the pronunciations in the survey I have never heard, and if I didn't
frequent alt.usage.english I would not know that they were ever used.
The idea that one may feel "positive" or "negative" about a pronunciation seems
to be to be a very Leftpondian one.
I have hunted around for pronunciations which actually irritate me or make
me think less well of the speaker, and the only case I can think of is the use
of unnecessary foreign words which are then mispronounced (typically a
pronunciation which is neither correct in the original language nor a frank
Anglicisation).
There are plenty of better things to get irritated about.
Katy
Frances Kemmish
> I have hunted around for pronunciations which actually irritate me or make
> me think less well of the speaker, and the only case I can think of is the use
> of unnecessary foreign words which are then mispronounced (typically a
> pronunciation which is neither correct in the original language nor a frank
> Anglicisation).
>
> There are plenty of better things to get irritated about.
>
The only pronunciation I can recall which actually irritates me is
the pronunciation of leisure with an "ee" sound. It is fairly common
in the US, and perfectly acceptable to almost everyone there, I
think, but, for some reason, to me it is like fingernails on a
blackboard.
There are plenty of American pronunciations which I wouldn't imitate
because they sound odd when I say them, although not when I hear
them from Americans, or even from my own children; but this one
really bothers me. I have no idea why.
Fran
Phil C.
Matthew M. Huntbach <m...@dcs.qmw.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:8aqh5d$98i$6...@beta.qmw.ac.uk...
Where I grew up (Essex, within smelling distance of the Estuary) the `nooz`
pronunciation was common and was considered er... common. People made
mistakes in trying to compensate. E.g `afternyoon`. In East Anglia it
doesn`t seem to have this class connotation so strongly.
Phil C.
________________________________________
philandwoody*at*meem*dot*freeserve*dot*co*dot*uk
Christine Stibbe
Michael Donn schrieb:
>snip< I have exactly the same reaction when IExcuse my ignorance, Michael, but how do US speakers pronounce "JAGUAR"?
hear a Brit pronounce "jaguar" (the name of a Central American cat, as
well as of a British means of conspicuous consumption) as Jag-you-are.
Though I am only amused when I hear Don Jew-on for Don Juan. Go
figure.
I, along with most Americans, can spot Brits immediately by thatI am a Brit, but I have always pronounced it sked-yul, funnily enough!
pronunciation of leisure, which we consider weird. Shed-yool rather
than sked-yul (for schedule) also sounds strange and pedantic, but
many Canadians also pronounce it that way.
For many years I couldn't connect the printed form of the name St JohnI only encountered that name a couple of years ago (I'm over 40 now) and was amazed at the pronounciation, too! How would anybody who had not grown up knowing somebody of that name possibly KNOW how to pronounce it? I came across it in a list of British surnames which are famous for being pronounced completely differently to how they are spelt - that is how I found out.
with its British pronunciation, but then it's not a name often
encountered in the US.
But by what logic does one pronounce Ralph asI only found that one out about 8 years ago, too (in my defence I must say I have lived in Germany for the last 24 years!). And I found out via an American guy who told me that his brother "Ralf" (US father, Brit mother) had actually changed the spelling of his name from Ralf to Rafe when he went to live in America, as the Americans couldn't get to grips with "Ralf" being pronounced "Rafe". Well I was astonished to hear that it WAS pronounced that way in UK!!!! I would have said "Ralf" myself !
Rafe?
I think a lot of people will only have realized this after getting to know Ralf Fiennes of "The English Patient" fame!!!!
The US pronounciation of "leisure" also makes MY blood curdle! LOL!
I am intrigued by the US pronounciation of "vase"!
Christine
Matthew M. Huntbach
> For many years I couldn't connect the printed form of the name St John
> with its British pronunciation, but then it's not a name often
> encountered in the US. But by what logic does one pronounce Ralph as
> Rafe?
Probably by a similar sort of logic whereby "calm" is pronounced as
"caam". Or "ll" in French is pronounced as a sort of "y" sound. Or the
Polish have what they call a "dark l" which is pronounced likea "w".
Or in collowquial British English "milk" is often pronounced
something like "miwk". Non-initial 'l' does have this tendency to
vanish away.
I think you will find the pronunciation of "Ralph" as "Rafe" is only
a thing amongst the higher levels of social class in Britain. I don't
think you would find anyone in the lower levels even being called "St John"
let alone adopting the upper class affected pronunciation of it. Funny
how when the upper classes slur their words that's "correct speech", but
when the lower classes do it, that's "bad speech".
Matthew Huntbach
Rik Rose
> hear that it WAS pronounced that way in UK!!!! I would have said "Ralf"
myself !
> I think a lot of people will only have realized this after getting to know Ralf
> Fiennes of "The English Patient" fame!!!!
about this subject, purporting to be an interview with Ralf Fiennes. All
throughout the interview, the interview was calling him "Ralf", and being
corrected. He got his own back, when he finally told him that it was
written as "The English Patient", but pronounced "The English <blows a
rather inneffectual raspberry>". Alas, I can not remember the comedians
involved.
rik
Frances Kemmish
> hear a Brit pronounce "jaguar" (the name of a Central American cat, as
> well as of a British means of conspicuous consumption) as Jag-you-are.
> Though I am only amused when I hear Don Jew-on for Don Juan. Go
> figure.
>
> pronunciation of leisure, which we consider weird. Shed-yool rather
> than sked-yul (for schedule) also sounds strange and pedantic, but
> many Canadians also pronounce it that way.
I don't have any problem with schedule; I even pronounce it in
something close to the American way - but that may be because it's
closer to the Dutch pronunciation of "sch" which my mother used. But
why "pedantic"?
>
> For many years I couldn't connect the printed form of the name St John
> with its British pronunciation, but then it's not a name often
> encountered in the US. But by what logic does one pronounce Ralph as
> Rafe?
>
Beats me. How people choose to pronounce their names is often a
mystery,
> I am glad that your children are perceptive enough to see (hear?) the
> preferability of American pronunciation.
They're teenagers; they like to fit in. That said, my son still has
a recognisably English accent, despite being in the US since he was
three - he's almost eighteen now. My daughter never had an English
accent.
Fran
Benjamin Lukoff
>Excuse my ignorance, Michael, but how do US speakers pronounce >"JAGUAR"?
Jag-war, with 'war' rhyming with 'bar' or 'car'. At least that's how I do it
(I'm from Seattle).
Benjamin Lukoff
>I am intrigued by the US pronounciation >of "vase"!
Rhyming with "base", you mean?
Ian
wrote in message
news:38D20253...@post.rwth-aachen.de...
> For many years I couldn't connect the printed form of the
name > St John with its British pronunciation, but then it's
not a
> name often encountered in the US.
I presume we are talking about its pronunciation as
"sinjun"? Avid afficianados of "Airwolf" may be acquainted
with this rather odd pronuniciation.
Ian
East Yerksher
Inglend
st...@tropheus.demon.co.uk
>
>I presume we are talking about its pronunciation as
>"sinjun"? Avid afficianados of "Airwolf" may be acquainted
>with this rather odd pronuniciation.
>
I know a guy who pronounces his name "sinjun" - what's really strange
is that "St John" is his middle name.
Matti Lamprhey
news:7sc4dskkd0bd2r63h...@4ax.com...
> >
> I know a guy who pronounces his name "sinjun" - what's really strange
> is that "St John" is his middle name.
You must mean the car dealer near me, "Honest" St John Daley.
There doesn't seem to be as much incredulity about the name Sinclair, does
there?
Matti
Dave Swindell
<mi...@telisphere.com> writes
>
>For many years I couldn't connect the printed form of the name St John
>with its British pronunciation, but then it's not a name often
>Rafe?
>
pronounces them as Cholmondeley or Featherstonehaugh.
Then there's a strange one, popular with military families, usually a
middle name, and I've only ever seen it written as an abbreviation
something like "d'Ac", pronounced something like "d'A'Court" with a
Norman French accent, which signifies that the bearer's ancestor fought
at Agincourt.
Dave dswindel...@tcp.co.uk Remove my gerbil for email replies.
David Hadley
st...@tropheus.demon.co.uk writes
[survey]
>speak with different accents. I suspect that the reason we haven't
>filled in the survey is that we aren't a survey sensitive community.
>
Those that like to attempt to fooling us into believing they know what
is going on now often proclaim that we are living in a 'knowledge' or
'information' economy.
If this is true, then it would suggest that it would be wrong of anyone
to give out any information of this kind to surveys, questionnaires and
so forth without being paid a fee.
After all a great many of these things do make money for someone - even
if it is only companies like Mori - it seems only fair that the
providers of the raw material for this industry should get some sort of
recompense.
--
David Hadley
Molly
Christine Stibbe (Christine Stibbe <Christin...@post.rwth-
aachen.de>) wrote
>
>Michael Donn schrieb:
>
>> For many years I couldn't connect the printed form of the name St John
>> with its British pronunciation, but then it's not a name often
>> encountered in the US.
>
>amazed at
>the pronounciation, too! How would anybody who had not grown up knowing somebody
>of
>that name possibly KNOW how to pronounce it?
For some years, a couple of decades ago, we had a prominent politician
by the name of Norman St. John Stevas. Anyone who remembers him knows
how to pronounce it. How others cope, I don't know - I was taught the
pronunciation at school, when we were reading "Jane Eyre", in which one
of the characters rejoices in the name of St. John.
(Regardless of the other thread, I still automatically use a full stop
with St. = Saint, as well as after St. = street!)
--
Molly (change nospam to orbs to email me)
Visit http://www.thehungersite.com for a totally free and simple way
to donate food to the hungry. (Go on, try it!)
Molly
M. Huntbach (Matthew M. Huntbach <m...@dcs.qmw.ac.uk>) wrote
>"caam". Or "ll" in French is pronounced as a sort of "y" sound. Or the
>Polish have what they call a "dark l" which is pronounced likea "w".
>Or in collowquial British English "milk" is often pronounced
>something like "miwk". Non-initial 'l' does have this tendency to
>vanish away.
>
>I think you will find the pronunciation of "Ralph" as "Rafe" is only
>a thing amongst the higher levels of social class in Britain.
Similarly, it used to be fashionable amongst the decaying classes to
pronounce "golf" as "goff".
John Davies
<ma...@polka.bikini> writes
>"Michael Donn" <mi...@telisphere.com> wrote in message
>news:5o06dss833l4sec1s...@4ax.com...
>
>> Well, I know that Cholmondeley is pronounced Chumly, but how do you
>> pronounce Featherstonehaugh? Maybe Fusty?
>
>Fanshaw -- isn't it obvious?
I've heard that tale about Featherstonehaugh many times, but I strongly
suspect it's a myth. I've only ever met one person with that name, and
he said that it was pronounced as spelt (last syllable "haw"). Daniel
Jones's "English Pronouncing Dictionary" (13th ed by A C Gimson, 1967)
supports that.
Jones/Gimson gives the "Chumly" pronunciation of Cholmondeley, however.
No-one so far has mentioned "Mainwaring", pronounced (as fans of 'Dad's
Army won't need reminding) as "Mannering". Jones points out that in
Wales that name is pronounced as spelt.
--
John Davies (jo...@redwoods.demon.co.uk)
Matti Lamprhey
> On Sat, 18 Mar 2000 09:03:36 -0000, "Matti Lamprhey"
> <ma...@polka.bikini> wrote:
>
> > "Michael Donn" <mi...@telisphere.com> wrote in message
> > news:5o06dss833l4sec1s...@4ax.com...
> >
> > > Well, I know that Cholmondeley is pronounced Chumly, but how do you
> > > pronounce Featherstonehaugh? Maybe Fusty?
> >
> > Fanshaw -- isn't it obvious?
>
And quite right, of course. Like John Davies, I also knew a
Featherstonhaugh, who pronounced it "Festonhew".
Here's another one: How did Wodehouse expect Barmy Fothinghay-Phipps to be
announced?
Matti
Dave Swindell
<jo...@redwoods.demon.co.uk> writes
>>news:5o06dss833l4sec1s...@4ax.com...
>>
>>> Well, I know that Cholmondeley is pronounced Chumly, but how do you
>>> pronounce Featherstonehaugh? Maybe Fusty?
>>
>>Fanshaw -- isn't it obvious?
>
>suspect it's a myth. I've only ever met one person with that name, and
>he said that it was pronounced as spelt (last syllable "haw").
"Haw"? The name has its origins in Northumberland, where "haugh" is
pronounced approximately like "half" (with a silent "l"), meaning a
fertile, level strip of land beside a river. And surely one
Featherstonehaugh doth not a Featherstonehaugh make ;-)
Dave dswindel...@tcp.co.uk Remove my gerbil for email replies.
Bike's are bosh, PC's are pointless, and the 1990's were nuts!
Bikes are great, PCs are super, and the 1990s were the time to be!
Save the apostrophe! Get 'em right! If in doubt, leave 'em out!!
Molly
com>, Michael Donn (Michael Donn <mi...@telisphere.com>) wrote
>Well, I know that Cholmondeley is pronounced Chumly, but how do you
>pronounce Featherstonehaugh? Maybe Fusty?
>
The Marquis of Abergavenny, who is a Sussex chap, pronounces his name
"Abergenny". We met him at a reception once, and he told us of the
occasion when he arrived at a function and was asked his name by a
rather harrassed waitress, who presumably hadn't expected to have to
undertake the task of announcing guests. After telling her his name
twice, he produced his card. She announced him to those already
assembled as follows:
"'E says 'is name's Abergenny, but 'e's really the Marquis of
Abergavenny!"
Phil C.
Molly <mo...@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:IqKfefA4...@orbs.demon.co.uk...
> On Fri, 17 Mar 2000, in article <5o06dss833l4sec1somgtrelrha8fhiljm@4ax.
> com>, Michael Donn (Michael Donn <mi...@telisphere.com>) wrote
>
> >Well, I know that Cholmondeley is pronounced Chumly, but how do you
> >pronounce Featherstonehaugh? Maybe Fusty?
> >
> The Marquis of Abergavenny, who is a Sussex chap, pronounces his name
> "Abergenny".
I wonder how many of these names are ancient affectations to keep one jump
ahead of us peasants. I`ve only heard Hunstanton pronounced "Hunston" by the
upper crust. Ditto Stiffkey as "Stookey". After the death of Diana the
"-trop" pronunciation of "-thorpe" names started popping up, yet I`d never
heard it before. One anomaly, however, is Cirencester. I`ve only ever heard
it pronounced as spelt but it seems to cry out for a weird pronunciation.
Anybody know what the locals call it?
My father met a woman called Sidebotham who pronounced it "Siddy bot ARM"
but perhaps we should be charitable.
Phil C.
________________________________________
philandwoody*at*meem*dot*freeserve*dot*co*dot*uk
Peter Duncanson
"Phil C." <nob...@nowhere.co.uk> wrote in message
news:8b2mum$ama$2...@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
used to hear it said as in 'come'.
Also, there was a time when some people (posh?) pronounced Daventry as
Daintree.
Peter D
Molly
C. (Phil C. <nob...@nowhere.co.uk>) wrote
>
>I wonder how many of these names are ancient affectations to keep one jump
>ahead of us peasants.
Well, the inhabitants of Bristol call it Brissle, but I don't think they
see it as an ancient affectation to keep one jump ahead!
>My father met a woman called Sidebotham who pronounced it "Siddy bot ARM"
>but perhaps we should be charitable.
>
Well, wouldn't you? I have considerable sympathy with Hyacinth Bucket
over the pronunciation of her name.
And, of course, there's the De'aths ...
John Davies
<pe...@the-duncansons.freeserve.co.uk> writes
>How is Coventry pronounced? I would sound the 'o' as in 'cot', but I
>used to hear it said as in 'come'.
As a native of Coventry, I can tell you that the locals use the "cot"
sound. Some outsiders -- eg an English teacher when I was at school
there -- call it "Cuventry", perhaps by analogy with "covenant". Daniel
Jones [1] favours the local pronunciation, but adds: "rarely, Cuv".
Actually he uses the IPA symbol, but I don't have the ASCII
transcription for it.
[1] JONES, Daniel. Everyman's English Pronouncing Dictionary: 13th ed
edited by A C Gimson. Dent, 1967)
--
John Davies (jo...@redwoods.demon.co.uk)
Graeme Thomas
>I've heard that tale about Featherstonehaugh many times, but I strongly
>suspect it's a myth. I've only ever met one person with that name, and
>he said that it was pronounced as spelt (last syllable "haw"). Daniel
>Jones's "English Pronouncing Dictionary" (13th ed by A C Gimson, 1967)
>supports that.
Many years ago I listened to a radio program that examined this topic.
The presenters (or, more likely, their researchers) phoned all the
people named Featherstonehaugh who were listed in most of the UK's phone
books. All who answered claimed to have heard that the name was
supposed to be "Fanshaw", but that their own branch of the family had
decided to pronounce the name as spelt.
--
Graeme Thomas
Dave Swindell
>
>Molly <mo...@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:IqKfefA4...@orbs.demon.co.uk...
>> On Fri, 17 Mar 2000, in article <5o06dss833l4sec1somgtrelrha8fhiljm@4ax.
>> com>, Michael Donn (Michael Donn <mi...@telisphere.com>) wrote
>>
>> >Well, I know that Cholmondeley is pronounced Chumly, but how do you
>> >pronounce Featherstonehaugh? Maybe Fusty?
>> >
>> The Marquis of Abergavenny, who is a Sussex chap, pronounces his name
>> "Abergenny".
>
>upper crust. Ditto Stiffkey as "Stookey". After the death of Diana the
>"-trop" pronunciation of "-thorpe" names started popping up, yet I`d never
>heard it before. One anomaly, however, is Cirencester. I`ve only ever heard
>it pronounced as spelt but it seems to cry out for a weird pronunciation.
>Anybody know what the locals call it?
>
Wherwell near Andover, Hants, was also called Orrel according to the
local publican, but I doubt if locals could afford the price of property
there any more so it's long passed.
Philip Eden
Molly wrote in message <+4nyKIAM...@orbs.demon.co.uk>...
>>but perhaps we should be charitable.
>>
>Well, wouldn't you? I have considerable sympathy with Hyacinth Bucket
>over the pronunciation of her name.
>
>And, of course, there's the De'aths ...
>--
>Molly (change nospam to orbs to email me)
And those who call themselves O'Nions ...
PhilipE
Phil C.
Molly wrote in message news:+4nyKIAM...@orbs.demon.co.uk...> C. wrote
> >
> >I wonder how many of these names are ancient affectations to keep one
jump
> >ahead of us peasants.
>
> see it as an ancient affectation to keep one jump ahead!
The "l" ending does seem to be a local dialect form. Bristol is derived from
"Brycg Stowe", the meeting place by the bridge, later "Bricstou" (1169). The
local tendency to add an "l" to words ending in a vowel seems genuinely
ancient. I recall the Bristol man who had three daughters - Eval, Idal and
Normal. :o)
Phil C.
________________________________________
philandwoody*at*meem*dot*freeserve*dot*co*dot*uk
Dr Robin Bignall
"John Davies" <jo...@redwoods.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:cK+l2PAG...@redwoods.demon.co.uk...
> In article <38d35...@news.netdirect.net.uk>, Matti Lamprhey
> <ma...@polka.bikini> writes
> >"Michael Donn" <mi...@telisphere.com> wrote in message
> >news:5o06dss833l4sec1s...@4ax.com...
> >
> >> pronounce Featherstonehaugh? Maybe Fusty?
> >
>
> suspect it's a myth. I've only ever met one person with that name, and
> he said that it was pronounced as spelt (last syllable "haw"). Daniel
> Jones's "English Pronouncing Dictionary" (13th ed by A C Gimson, 1967)
> supports that.
>
They were obviously the Estuary branch of the family and used a
Descriptivist pronunciation guide!
--
Wrmst rgds,
RB... (docr...@cwcom.net)
richardj
Philip Eden <phi...@weather.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:953512040.180.0....@news.demon.co.uk...
<snip>
> And those who call themselves O'Nions ...
That reminds me that one of the more memorable parts of my family tree is
the Onions family from Derbyshire/Leicestershire (pronounced as in vegetable
as far as I know), who had a family tradition to name the eldest son
Zachariah.
Should perhaps be in the "Do you hate your given name?" thread.
Richard Jennings
Geoff Butler
>Dave Swindell <dswindel...@tcp.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> In article <ata2dsonp5fd9v935...@4ax.com>, Michael Donn
>> <mi...@telisphere.com> writes
>> >
>> >with its British pronunciation, but then it's not a name often
>> >Rafe?
>> >
>> Try Cholmondeley, or even Featherstonehaugh. Nobody, but nobody, *ever*
>> pronounces them as Cholmondeley or Featherstonehaugh.
A friend of mine not only doesn't pronounced it that way, he doesn't
even spell it that way.
-ler
Geoff Butler
>>suspect it's a myth. I've only ever met one person with that name, and
>>he said that it was pronounced as spelt (last syllable "haw"). Daniel
>>Jones's "English Pronouncing Dictionary" (13th ed by A C Gimson, 1967)
>>supports that.
>
>The presenters (or, more likely, their researchers) phoned all the
>people named Featherstonehaugh who were listed in most of the UK's phone
>books. All who answered claimed to have heard that the name was
>supposed to be "Fanshaw", but that their own branch of the family had
>decided to pronounce the name as spelt.
The only person I know with that name comes from a branch of the family
who decided to spell it as pronounced, give or take an 'e', instead.
-ler
Geoff Butler
>
>And quite right, of course. Like John Davies, I also knew a
>Featherstonhaugh, who pronounced it "Festonhew".
>
>Here's another one: How did Wodehouse expect Barmy Fothinghay-Phipps to be
>announced?
Barrington-Marstonby Fopps?
-ler
Geoff Butler
> One anomaly, however, is Cirencester. I`ve only ever heard
>it pronounced as spelt but it seems to cry out for a weird pronunciation.
>Anybody know what the locals call it?
I've heard of the alleged pronunciations "Sister" and "Sissester", but
I've only ever heard it pronounced as spelt whenever I've been there.
-ler
Geoff Butler
>>
>>I wonder how many of these names are ancient affectations to keep one jump
>>ahead of us peasants.
>
>Well, the inhabitants of Bristol call it Brissle, but I don't think they
>see it as an ancient affectation to keep one jump ahead!
Up to a point. The 'l' is very very dark, and it's better transliterated
as 'Brissw'. Bricstowe, "Bridge Town", and all that. Talking of jumping
and bridges ... no, perhaps not.
-ler
Mudge
>On Sun, 19 Mar 2000, in article <8b2mum$ama$2...@news8.svr.pol.co.uk>, Phil
>C. (Phil C. <nob...@nowhere.co.uk>) wrote
>
>I wonder how many of these names are ancient affectations to keep one jump
>ahead of us peasants.
>
were illiterate and therefore had no written version to compare the
pronunciation with.
The village near to me that is the birthplace of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson
(Lewis Carroll) is spelt Daresbury. As a local I have always pronounced it
"darrsbury" but I am increasingly now hearing it pronounced as spelt.
Most of the old non-phonetic place name pronunciations seem to be dying out,
although "Chumley" for "Cholomondeley" (another Cheshire name) is mounting a
valiant rearguard action.
Incidentally, the locals refer to Cirencester as "Siren"
Mudge
--
"All that is required for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"
...Edmund Burke
http://members.tripod.co.uk/Curmudgeon/
Stuart Robertson
> The only pronunciation I can recall which actually irritates me is
> the pronunciation of leisure with an "ee" sound. It is fairly common
> in the US, and perfectly acceptable to almost everyone there, I
> think, but, for some reason, to me it is like fingernails on a
> blackboard.
>
> There are plenty of American pronunciations which I wouldn't imitate
> because they sound odd when I say them, although not when I hear
> them from Americans, or even from my own children; but this one
> really bothers me. I have no idea why.
>
> Fran
Not English, but when Disney released 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame', the
television advert pronounced the "Not" in Notre as "note" as in notepaper.
This for some reason particularly irritated me and I am sure the French
would not be too happy either!
--
Stuart Robertson
gil...@REMOVEglobalnet.co.uk
Matthew M. Huntbach
>The village near to me that is the birthplace of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson
>(Lewis Carroll) is spelt Daresbury. As a local I have always pronounced it
>"darrsbury" but I am increasingly now hearing it pronounced as spelt.
Yes - I'm familiar with Horsham in Sussex, which old books tell you is
always called "Horse-ham" by the locals, but people living round there
now seem unfamiliar with anyting but "Hore-Sham".
>Most of the old non-phonetic place name pronunciations seem to be dying out,
>although "Chumley" for "Cholomondeley" (another Cheshire name) is mounting a
>valiant rearguard action.
I'm fighting a valiant battle for my home town of Portslade in Sussex
to be pronounced in the old Sussex way with the stress of the LAST syllable.
When we were children, we always used to pronounce it that way without
a thought there could be any other, but I note newcomers often stress it the
other way round. Funnily enough, "ice-cream" seems to be going the same
way - when I was young it was always ice-CREAM, but now I often hear
ICE-cream. I think this is another adoption of an Americanism.
Also on place-names near Brighton, Moulsecoomb - I have written in more
than one occasion to the railway authorities asking them to pronounce
this in train announcements in the correct Sussex pronounciation i.e.
with stress on the coomb, and with the first bit pronounced Mols and not
Mools.
Matthew Huntbach
Peter Duncanson
"Stuart Robertson" <gil...@globalnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:8b74ho$fcf$1...@gxsn.com...
> >
> > The only pronunciation I can recall which actually irritates me is
> > the pronunciation of leisure with an "ee" sound. It is fairly common
> > in the US, and perfectly acceptable to almost everyone there, I
> > think, but, for some reason, to me it is like fingernails on a
> > blackboard.
> >
> > There are plenty of American pronunciations which I wouldn't imitate
> > because they sound odd when I say them, although not when I hear
> > them from Americans, or even from my own children; but this one
> > really bothers me. I have no idea why.
> >
> > Fran
>
> Not English, but when Disney released 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame', the
> television advert pronounced the "Not" in Notre as "note" as in
notepaper.
Was that the American pronunciation which sounds like "Noter"?
> This for some reason particularly irritated me and I am sure the French
> would not be too happy either!
Well we wouldn't want to make unhappy the French. I trust we all pronounce
"Centre" in the French style so as not to annoy them.
Peter D
John Fisher
<nob...@nowhere.co.uk> writes
>The "l" ending does seem to be a local dialect form. Bristol is derived from
>"Brycg Stowe", the meeting place by the bridge, later "Bricstou" (1169). The
>local tendency to add an "l" to words ending in a vowel seems genuinely
>ancient. I recall the Bristol man who had three daughters - Eval, Idal and
>Normal. :o)
Heard in a Bristol shop: "My husband was in Burmle. With the Gurkles."
--
John Fisher jo...@drummond.demon.co.uk jo...@epcc.ed.ac.uk
Matti Lamprhey
news:xvw4NfAD...@gbutler.demon.co.uk...
> Matti Lamprhey <ma...@polka.bikini> wrote
> >
> >Here's another one: How did Wodehouse expect Barmy Fothinghay-Phipps to
be
> >announced?
>
> Barrington-Marstonby Fopps?
It seems the Fotheringhay was to be pronounced "Fungy" -- strange indeed.
Matti
Matti Lamprhey
news:953512040.180.0....@news.demon.co.uk...
>
I was walking down an office corridor in Hertford yesterday, and saw the
following name on a door:
J. O'Smotherley.
Now I know what it is to reel.
Matti
John Fisher
<curmu...@ukgateway.net> writes
>The village near to me that is the birthplace of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson
>(Lewis Carroll) is spelt Daresbury. As a local I have always pronounced it
>"darrsbury" but I am increasingly now hearing it pronounced as spelt.
The unit where I work at Edinburgh University has good connections with
colleagues in the Daresbury Laboratory, and we always call in
"darsbury". Now I know that's the local pronunciation I shall insist on
it even more.
corin-slocombe@bridith.freeserve.co.uk j.corin-slocombe
Norman St. John Stevas. He was so la-de-da that I could not understand him.
When it came to taking his name I was so lost that I told him that he had
got the wrong number and put the phone down and refused to answer the
telephone for the rest of the afternoon. Judithnews:Swq5YjA$rq04...@orbs.demon.co.uk...
> On Fri, 17 Mar 2000, in article <38D20253...@post.rwth-aachen.de>,
> Christine Stibbe (Christine Stibbe <Christin...@post.rwth-
> aachen.de>) wrote
> >
> >Michael Donn schrieb:
> >
> >> For many years I couldn't connect the printed form of the name St John
> >> with its British pronunciation, but then it's not a name often
> >> encountered in the US.
> >
was
> >amazed at
> >the pronounciation, too! How would anybody who had not grown up knowing
somebody
> >of
> >that name possibly KNOW how to pronounce it?
>
> For some years, a couple of decades ago, we had a prominent politician
> by the name of Norman St. John Stevas. Anyone who remembers him knows
> how to pronounce it. How others cope, I don't know - I was taught the
> pronunciation at school, when we were reading "Jane Eyre", in which one
> of the characters rejoices in the name of St. John.
>
> (Regardless of the other thread, I still automatically use a full stop
> with St. = Saint, as well as after St. = street!)
> --
> Molly (change nospam to orbs to email me)
corin-slocombe@bridith.freeserve.co.uk j.corin-slocombe
Geoff Butler <ge...@gbutler.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:8vj79jAP...@gbutler.demon.co.uk...