Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-10-11
PRONUNCIATION IN ENGLAND.
Proper Names Disguised Beyond Recog.
nition.-A Partial List.


Persons who are entirely educated
through the eye without reference to the
ear and on whom sound has no effect are
content to pronounce names as they have
been accustomed to hear them pronounced,
without taking the trouble to observe or
even to notice how they are spelled. So
what we call bad pronunciation of names
by those moving in good society-that is
to say, the educated classes-is their good
pronunciation, and in almost every in
stance the change is for the worse to the
educated American critic; for instance,
"Chumley" for Cholmondeley, Marsh
banks" for Majoribanks, "Bech'mp" for
Beauchamps, and SO on. Nothing but
the fact that the people in Eng
land speak different dialects in diff
ferent counties, that they cannot
understand one another, must ac-
count for the fact that Blythe is
pronounced oily" Mainwaring is called
''Mannering," so "Guy Mannering" is
really Guy Mainwaring; Mcleod" is
McCloud. In Molyneux the is sounded;
in Vaux the final X is also sounded, but
in Devereux the final is not sounded;
in Des Vaux the final is dropped. In
Meux the takes the sound of "Mews."
Ker is pronounced "Kar," and is would
be very bad style to call it Cur" Cock
burn is called "Coburn" Cowper, the
poet of the Sofa" and John Gilpin," is
called Cooper" always. In Waldegrave
the de should be dropped. 1t should
be called "Walgrave," a slight accent on
the first syllable. In London always say
''Barkley" for Berkeley. Only the Lon
don cabmen call it what it is. They say
Berkeley square," but my noble lord
says "Barkley square,"
The Derby is the Darby. In Dillwgn
the ''w" takes the sound Of Gu" it is pro-
nOunced Dillun. Leveden is called Live
den. Pepys should be pronounced Pepis,
the accent on the first syllable. Evelyn
is called evelyn, with the accent on the
first syllable. In Monson the takes the
sound of u, and it is pronounced Munson
The same in Ponsonby, which is always
Punsunby. Blount is always Blunt,
Brougham is Broom, Buchan should be
pronounced Buccan. Wemys is always |
Weems, D'Eresby is always Dersby, st.
John is ''Sin Jin," as surname or a
Christian name, but as locality or q
building it is pronounced as spelled-St.
John. Montgomery is Mungomery. In
Elgin the G is hard and should be pro-
nounced as the e in give. The e in Gif-
ford is soft, as Jifford. They talk of
'Jifford's History Of England" and the
n Nigel is also soft, as the Forames of
Nigel. In Conyngham the takes the sound
II and should be pronounced Cunning
lam. In Johnstone the should-ppt be
ounded, Strachan should be pronounced
,trann, Heathcote is called Hethcut, Hert-
ord is called Hartford. Seymour is pro-
lounced Semur, Albergravenny is called
Abergenny, Bourne is Burn, Colquhoun is
simply koohoon, the accent on the last
yllable. Coutts is called Roots, Du-
hesne is Dukarn, Eyre is called Air,
joner is Cor, Godfrey is called Jerry,
lame is Hume, and Knollys is Knowles,
Iehigh is Lee, Menzies is Myngies, Mac
lemera is pronounced Macnemra, Sandys
$ pronounced Sands, st. Clair is Sinkler,
Iaughan is Worn; but st. Maur is called
It. Maur, Villiers is called Villers, Vile
'ois is still pronounced like a French
lame, ''Vealbox," Tyrwhit is Tierret. In
III this one is reminded of the English
ord who gave his card to an expressman.
Mr.. Cohoon," said the expressman.
When he looked at the card it read Col
uhoun.
THAT is one of them adventurer fell
ers," said the expressman.
beIuuuo lS pronounced beeUOn, DalZlel |
pronounced Decal, Charters is called
harters, Geoghegan is called Gaygen,
,uthven is called Rivven, Fildes is called
iledes, Bicester is called Blister, Cirencis-
er Cisester, Belvoir is Bever, Pontreract
simply Pomfret, Rokeby is called
ookby.
In Burdett, Kennaird and Parnell the
lst syllabble is emphasized. In Trede-
ar, Bredalbane, Clanricarde, only the I.
liddle syllable is emphasized For Ira /.
lgar square the old Londoner says Ire
llgar square. This difference of nomen- !
ature reaches also to the very different
ames of things, as no one in London asks :
r an 'apothecary shop" he asks for the '
chemists if he wants dose of medi-
ne. Apothecaries existed in Shak- =.
'ere's time, as we learn from Romeo
I'd Juliet" but they are gone out" .
nee. AS soon as an American can divest :
mself of saying baggage" and learn to !
y luggage" the sooner will he be un- :
NJ. E. w. Sherwoods
,tter.