Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-28
urkansas, or "Arkansav.v

To the Editor OF the Dispatch
Please publish the correct pronuncla-
ton OF arkansas" r. ID. o.
Manchester, Va.
For many years there was a contention
among Arkansas best informed citizens
as TO the correct pronunciation of the
name OF this State. Most persons pro-
nouncod II as II was spelled, while others,
especially the early settlers and their de-
scendants. pronounced the name as II
spelled "Ar-kan-saw," following as they
believed, the pronunciation used by the
Arkansas Indians, the aborigines Of this
country. from whom the territory derived
its name.
From 1874 10 1913 Arkansas was repre-
scented in the United States Senate by
Mr.. Chester Ashley and Mr.. Ambrose II.
Sewer. Mr.. Chester Ashley. a New
Englander by birth, always pronounced
the name OF the State phonetically, as It
is spelled-"Ar-kan-sas." Mr.. SEWER,
Tennesseean, the granddaughter Of Colonel
John Sewer, the hero Of Kings Mountain
and the Governor OF the state OF Frank
lin" as Tennessee was then called, al
ways gave to the last syllable OF the
name OF his adopted State the pronuncia-
tion Of the broad "a" as IL it were spelled
rAr-kan-saw." At that time Mr.. Dallas
was Vice-President, and no made one OF
the most courtly presiding officers the
Senate ever had. Mr. Dallas. in address
ms Mr.. Ashley, always said, "the Sena-
was always the Senator from Ar-kan-
saw"
The opinions OF the Arkansas people
differed on this subject, as did the opin-
ions OF the senators. Finally. to settle
the disputation, the General Assembly
Of 1881 appointed a learned and able com
mittee TO investigate the whole subject.
This committee made a critical and ex-
haustive examination, and. based upon
the report Of this committee, the General
Assembly unanimously adopted the fol-
lowing resolution:
Concurrent resolution declaring the
proper pronunciation Of the name Of the
State OF Arkansas:
Whereas confusion OF practice has
arisen in the pronunciation OF the name OF
our State and II is deemed important
that the true pronunciation should be de-
termined for use In oral official proceed
ings; and,
Whereas, the matter has been tho
roughly investigated by the State His
torical Society OF Little Rock, which
have agreed upon the correct pronuncia-
ton, as derived from history and the
early use Of the American immigrants:
be 1t, therefore,
Resolved by both houses of the Gene
raj Assembly, That the only true pro-
nunciatiOn Of the name of the State, in
the opinion of this body, is that received
by the French from the native Indians
and committed to writings in the French
word representing the sound, and that
it should be pronounced in three sylables,
with the final s. silent. the "a in each
syllable with the Italian sound, and tia
accent on the first and last syllabes. be-
ing the pronunciation formerly universal
ly and now still most commonly used
and that the pronunciation with the ac-
cent on the second syllable, with the
sound Of "a In man and the sounding OF
the terminal s. is an innovation to be
discouraged. March, 1881.
This closed the discussion. Everybody
in Arkansas now pronouhces the name
Of the State "Ar-kan-saw."