Subject: English names Americans struggle with
Posted by: lesn
Date: Jan 15 19
Americans struggle with English place names especially Worcestershire, it is prononced Woss-ter-shire.
Magdelen College, is pronounced Maud-lin
Leominster, is promounced Lem-ster
Is this not rather a failing of the English language though?
Posted by: lesn
Date: Jan 15 19
Americans struggle with English place names especially Worcestershire, it is prononced Woss-ter-shire.
Magdelen College, is pronounced Maud-lin
Leominster, is promounced Lem-ster
Is this not rather a failing of the English language though?
57 replies. On page 1 of 3 pages. 1 2 3
UmberWunFayun 
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Why do you feel that it's a failing of the language? It's true that English can be a quirky language, since it's an amalgamation of many original languages that got melted together over the years during various settlements and invasions of the British Isles, but it's pronunciation is no stranger than any other. I'd argue that if a language is derived from another, 'mother language' (such as American or Australian English) then the original pronunciation is correct by default. However, we also all have our own regional dialects which alter pronunciation of certain words, and colour our speech with colloquialisms. If you're just referencing spelling versus spoken word, then some great examples are Welsh, Scottish and Irish (Sinead, Sean, Sion, Siaorse) but also French, Spanish, Latin, Norse and many others. Being English, how would you read this - "Jesus kicked Jorge in the cojones!"? Probably not the way it would be correct in Spanish/Mexican - "Hey-zeus kicked Hore-hay in the co-honies!" The language isn't at fault, it just takes a little effort to learn properly, that's all, just like any language. Reply #1. Jan 15 19, 5:41 AM |
| UmberWunFayun
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Oh, and just by the by, English isn't the only language the Americans sometimes struggle with. They have a college called Notre Dame, which is French, and pronounced "Not-Ra Damn", but the Americans call it "Noter Daym". (Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). Reply #2. Jan 15 19, 5:47 AM |
Skyflyerjen
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When my ancestors came to America, they were told their last name was too long and they had to shorten it. I'm curious what it originally was. Are there any words y'all have trouble saying? My friends laugh their heads off at me when I trip over the word "circumcision" and heaven help me, I never get that one right the first time. Reply #3. Jan 15 19, 12:28 PM |
| UmberWunFayun
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How often are you needing to say it?!? I love words and language, I talk way too much. If a stranger asks me a question, we usually end up having a half-hour conversation. On the other hand, my husband tends to be a man of few words. Strangers often ask him if it hurt to get his head tattooed, and he just says "No" and walks off. Then he has to come back and get me, because I'm chatting to them lol. Reply #4. Jan 15 19, 12:50 PM |
flopsymopsy
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I live in a county with one major river - the Nene. How would you say that? Well, if you live in Northampton and anywhere in the west of the county, you call it the Nenn and if you call it anything else you don't belong. But if you live in the east of the county, from Thrapston past Peterborough to the North Sea, you call it the Neen and if you call it anything else... I've really no idea how Hawaiians pronounce their state bird, the Nene, but I expect it's completely different! As for Worcester... where I grew up we pronounced it Wuss-ster, not Woss-ster, so I don't think Americans need worry too much - even the English pronounce things differently so there's little hope for anyone else. We know what you mean, just say "please" when you ask for the sauce. ;) Reply #5. Jan 15 19, 10:46 PM |
lesn
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Sorry yes Wuss-ster, is a better way to type the way it should be pronounced. By the way Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to change his name when Hollywood said no one with a name like that would become a star. Got to admire that. Reply #6. Jan 16 19, 5:45 AM |
C30
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Flopsy..........too true, even pronunciations differ when name doesn't. Take town of Haverhill, Suffolk..............this place was opened up in 1960's as London Overspill. If when mentioning town both H's are dropped ('aver'ill) and letter A becomes pronounced letter, with no rise in voice, then speaker is probably from London. If though, the word is spoken "going up hill".....voice rising.......H's still missing.....then speaker is probably rural from Essex side of River Stour. If however, town is pronounced, same as Essex, but with H's included, then speaker is likely native Suffolk. Another I love to use as example of British peculiarity in this respect, is Wymondham, Norfolk.................pronounced "Windham"..........no wonder people from outside our Isles get confused. Reply #7. Jan 16 19, 6:04 AM |
| UmberWunFayun
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There's an area of Walsall, near me, called 'Caldmore' which is pronounced 'Karma'. But here in the Black Country, our odd little local dialect still uses many words and phrases from Old English which passed out of general usage elsewhere many years ago, so anybody who wasn't born here can barely understand anything we say, anyway! Reply #8. Jan 16 19, 6:51 AM |
horadada
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In Hawaii it is called a Neene bird. Reply #9. Jan 16 19, 7:55 AM |
Mixamatosis
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When I was young I had a book of tea cards on animals in danger of extinction. The Nene was in it but they spelt it Ne Ne (as two words) and I'd heard it pronounced Nay Nay. More recently I've seen it spelt Nene but I think that makes it harder to guess the pronunciation. I once lived in Peterborough though I wasn't a native to the area and understood that the river Nene was pronounced Neen. So I think some of us are agreeing on this. (By the way I understand we British say 'spelt' and Americans say 'spelled' for the past tense of the verb 'to spell'. Reply #10. Jan 16 19, 2:04 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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We all struggle with Welsh don't we, (apart from the Welsh)? Reply #11. Jan 16 19, 2:07 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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I learned to say goodbye in Welsh, which is hwyl or hwyl fawr which means 'fun' or 'big fun' - pronounced hoowill (but say it quickly) or hoowill vower. Reply #12. Jan 16 19, 2:15 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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Back to English. I notice in various travel videos, American tourists often mispronounce the river Thames in London - not knowing it's pronounced Tems by Londoners. It's kind of charming hearing these mispronunciations. Reply #13. Jan 17 19, 4:49 PM |
| Skyflyerjen
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Ahahaha yes, you’re right! This is how it went down the first time: Me: “circum…shijum.” (sisters laugh uproariously as I spend the next minute or two attempting to say it) Me: “Alright, next time I need to say it, I’ll say “circumcised,” alright?!?” Sister, laughing: “Does it often come up in conversations you have?” (well… no) Reply #14. Jan 18 19, 1:27 PM |
| Skyflyerjen
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We have a street here called “Westnedge”. Everyone I know who lives here says “West-nidge” but all of these radio ads and whatnot, DJs and such will say “West-nedge,” like it’s spelled, and I think it’s because the people who recorded the ad have never been here. Reply #15. Jan 18 19, 1:28 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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Yes, It's hard for the media to know the local pronunciation of place names and most media journalists don't travel far from their centre. Reply #16. Jan 19 19, 10:23 AM |
daver852
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Southern Illinois, the place of my nativity, has many towns whose names are invariably mispronounced by news anchors on the rare occasions when anything happens there. Probably the best known is the historic city of Cairo, which is pronounced "Care-Oh," not "Kye-Roh" like the city in Egypt. Another is New Athens, which is pronounced "New A-Thens" with a long "A" and the accent on the first syllable. And, of course, everyone should know that Vienna is pronounced "Vye-Anna," not like the capitol of Austria. Nor should one overlook Alto Pass, which is called "Owl-Toe Pass" by its inhabitants, not "Ahl-Toe" like the singing voice. Just across the Mississippi River is the fairly large city of Care Girardeau, Missouri, which natives pronounce as "Cape Juh-RAW-Dough," not "Cape JEER-rard-oh." Reply #17. Jan 19 19, 9:40 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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Sounds like a minefield of potential mispronunciation. I'll be sure to take lessons beforehand, if I ever plan to travel to illinois. Reply #18. Jan 20 19, 5:01 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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I've heard people British say if they ask for a glass of water, in the US, they struggle to make themselves understood, unless they pronounce the word water as Americans do. Reply #19. Jan 20 19, 5:04 PM |
| flopsymopsy
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Recently I watched a few YouTube videos by Americans visiting London and was amazed by how many of them called the Thames "the Tames" and not "the Tems" - I hadn't realised quite how common that mistake was before. (On the other hand I probably mis-pronounce the Missouri or Lake Okeechobee, so I'm not criticising.) Anyway, a small tip. The River used to be pronounced as it is spelt, the Thames, with a Thhh. But then we got a German king, George I, and he couldn't pronounce his Thhhs; when he saw the river for the first time he referred to it as the "Tems" and, because no one argues with the king (or they didn't back then), it has been called that ever since. So remember German George and you'll get name of the river right. :D Reply #20. Jan 20 19, 5:04 PM |
57 replies. On page 1 of 3 pages. 1 2 3
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