February 16, 2010
by Graham
0 comments
The BBC New website tells us that this mean “together” in Dari, but there seems to be a disagreement between Radio and Television about its pronunciation. Radio 4 newsreaders are all stressing the first syllable, while their television colleagues are … Continue reading
February 6, 2010
by Graham
1 Comment
Here are two place names whose pronunciation history converged for a time and then diverged again. Wymondham is, in my experience, always pronounced /ˈwɪndəm/. I don’t have access to either of the Engish Place Name Society (EPNS)’s volumes on Norfolk, … Continue reading
February 3, 2010
by Graham
13 Comments
I thought Uttoxeter deserved a post of its own, because it also raises a transcription and dialect question. Both /ʊ/ and /ʌ/ have been quoted, by Michael Lamb and John Maidment, as possible pronunciations of the initial sounds, and I … Continue reading
February 1, 2010
by Graham
16 Comments
John Wells was mentioning (here) the unpredictability of the pronunciation of British place and family names from their spellings, and some are recorded in the Dictionary of Blunders. The fact that they are mentioned at all must mean that in … Continue reading