The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1907-05-02
HOW DO you SAY THEM.
Names of Cities Pronounced Differ
emily AS Positions Change.

Names of Cities Pronounced Differ
emily as Positions Change.
Prof Hart, In his interesting article
on Oklahoma, admonished his New
England readers that 1t Is pronounced
Oak, not Oklahoma, says the Boston
Transcript Prof. Hart did well, as
al editorial paragraph of the same is
sue thereby noted. The same paragraph
commented on other pronunciations Of
places, used by their residents that are
quite different from our usage. The
editorial notes Iowa, Virginia and Ore
gon among other names not pronounced
here as at home. Then there is Ohio,
which the native Jerks out "Uhluh,"
disregarding our solemn "Oh-hi-oh." We
and the gazetteers say New Orleans"
accent on the "Or." Down there they
stress the last syllable and call 1T
''leens." Omaha Is "Omahaw," not
"Omahah." Las Vegas Is LAS Yayas.1
Missouri is "Mlzzoura." You are more
likely to hear "Coloraydo" than "CoIo-
rahdo" In that State. Spokane is as
If there was no sc" In It, Manitoba ls
accented on the penult, not the ulti-
mate. Quincy (Ill) Is not "Quinzye
Galveston stresses the ives" rather
than the Gal" Terra Hut" the ma
tives call 1t.
More say 'Loosiana" than "Louez-
lana" Tucson" is "Tooson," accent on
| the ultimate, and so on. You have per-
| haps heard of the Frenchman who
| came to America to see the city of
Winona, Mimi, attracted by its beauti-
full name, which he pronounced "Wee-
nonah." Landing at New York, he.
scarcely gave any attention to the me-
tropolis, but pushed on to the west.
Chicago was seen only in changing cars,
and as the train glided along the Mis-
sissippi and approached what is beau
tiful city, surrounded by the rich YER
dure and romantic bluffs of the upper
Mississippi, the Frenchman was en-
chanted. The train slowed up before.
stopping at the station, the Frenchman
half rose from his seat In feyerish an
ticipation, when the brakeman opened
the door and yelled "Weinony!" The
Frenchman collapsed in his seat heart
broken, and did not leave the train at
Wlnona
What queer pronunciations !" ex-
claim my New England readers. In
decd Here l let my neighbour an Iowa
man, take his pen In hand and put in
type the glowing words he has often
emitted In my presence. This Is what
he says:
Yes, l am from Iowa and I never
heard any other than the pronouncia--
ion Iowa (accent on the first syl-
able) until I came east. Oh, yes;
occasionally the older and more rural
people would call 1t I-o-way,' which Is
'eally the original Indian pronuncia-
ion. But this I-oh-a' was unknown to.
Iowndes or anybody else In the Hawk
we State. Yet no one here calls it X
else. When | go to register
nd l am asked where l was born. the
GLENN clerk puts it down Ireland and
SKIS II | have my naturalization pa
ers. Now, how do you folks get such
pronunciation? 1t isn't found in any
yclopedia or gazetteer that l ever saw.
'or do your own pronunclations con-
ince me. Why on earth do you say
luinzy' when the syllable begins with
e. never pronounced other than s.
r X? Why do you say 'Waltham'
nd 'Wrentham' and slam out that
ham roundly? Used to those pro-
unciations and the dwelling on the
st syllable in Newburyport, ETC., 1
ice innocently pronounced the name of
lat Cape Cod town as It Is spelled,
thinking stable as good
word as barn and as we'll worth
yelling on, and the Office roared at
e. Why say 'Wooburn' when you y
ell 1t Woburn? But worst of all is,
at pretty little Middlesex town, whose
me l rather liked until 1 heard it
er and over again blared out Bill
cker.'"
| am afraid my Iowans case Is
sperate one. But confess some SYM
thy for him, don't you?