Swindonian (Naomi isn't it or am I getting confused? -- Swindonian seems a little formal somehow)

I was kind of aware that the old pronunciation was dying out (my aunt lives near Sissiter and still calls it that, but yes, she's determinedly eccentric.)

Gumster for Godmanchester is now actually quite rare here too (only 10 miles away) –– but I just like to remind people how bizarre English can be at every available opportunity!

I think the reason these local pronunciations are disappearing is that the locals are now at least partly made up of people who didn't grow up in the area. So Gloucester and Leicester are probably safe, as they're the names of counties/ships/dukes/streets in London, and much more widely known. And nobody except peoiple from Norfolk (or should that be Norfick?) ever new about Stiffkey in the first place!



Jesus saves; Buddha does incremental backup.

I have several friends and colleagues who make a living by americanising/americanizing and anglicising/anglicizing educational books, but yes, with fiction the publishers don't seem to bother. And indeed how could you? The cultural significance of the difference between Thursday's Swindon and our Swindon would take a multi-volume thesis at the very least.

Which is of course part of the joy of Mr Ff's work . . .



Jesus saves; Buddha does incremental backup.

In the UK county itself, the true pronounciation is 'Narf'lk', bor. I was born and raised there, so I have some claim to being a Norfolk dumpling, but it's my brother, Chris, who speaks with the Norfolk burr - and he was born in Lancashire !

Come to think of it, I probably know more Sheffield dialect now than I ever did Norfolk. Not many of my schoolfriends were born and bred Norfolk folk and I didn't really start listening to the way people spoke until a year or two before I left. I don't sound like a born Sheffielder but I use phrases like 'I'm busy while four, then I can phone', without thinking.

Sheffielders with definite accents tend to think I sound posh. I don't really, I just don't have a particular accent. If I was posh, I'd sound more like PSD.

Me? Posh?

*walks away shaking head in disbelief*



Post Edited (06-19-03 01:12)

PSD

==========

This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

I was born in a country town here called New Norfolk, commonly pronounced 'Norfik'. My folks come from Launceston (also here in Aus, not the one over there) pronounced Lon-Ces-Ton. WOE betide any mainlander who dares pronounce it "Lawn-ces-ton." People have killed for less.

PSD - *Warning - Imminent Pedantic Outburst*

I found this post on the Virtual Shropshire site, author rights to 'Alison':

"Shropshire" comes from the Old English "Scrobbesbyrigscir", the shire with Shrewsbury at its head. The Normans found both Shrewsbury and Shropshire,"Scrobbesbyrig" & "Scrobbesbyrigscir" difficult to pronounce.So they softened them to "Salopsberia" & "Salopescira", and Salop was the shortened form of both."

No idea as to the veracity of this, but it remains a terminal wrangle within that county. I also have no clue as to how you pronounce the OE versions! Apparently 'Salop' also means tart in French.

Skiffle - I think I've got the same Wordsworth edition of M.R. James that you do, it's very comprehensive.



Post Edited (06-19-03 10:16)

Well I'd never had thought Shrewsbury and Shropshire came from the same origin. York and Yorkshire I can figure, but Shrewsbury and Shropshire !!

I'm surprise Dave hasn't trundled out his Cahir story again...

Belochka: Mine's a complete Penguin edition of M R James. It's a 1984 reprint of the 1931 original collection

PSD: Sarah agreed with me about the way you speak. And like I said, you read poetry beautifully.

I like the way you speak, PSD. I think you do it wonderfully well. I've never heard you speak, but I like it anyway.