English pronounciation

[barbwood]

Why is it that several English words are pronounced so differently to the way they are printed e.g. Cholmondeley, Middleham, Magdelen

[spudqueen]

Saw a programme many years ago which stated that when printing first started there was no set spelling in this country and people just used to spell words as they pronounced them . Eventually over time spellings became 'set' as people copied them, though the original speller of the word may have pronounced it differently. There are still regional differences in the way we pronounce words, eg bath and castle are different in the north than the south.

If you ever look into your family tree you may come across examples of your family name being spelt differently through the years as when most people couldn't read and write they would not have noticed that when they gave their name to someone in officialdom eg births, marriages that person would have written it down as they heard it and if they didn't come from that part of the country they would not have been familiar with the regional accent. Even as late as the 1890's I have come across a name spelt both Hurst and Hirst.

[ecoman]

My favourite one is "Featherstonehough" which is pronounced as "Fanshaw".... honest!

[THECORBYLOON]

I have an old copy of the "Guinness Book Of Records" and Featherstonehaugh is the longest single English surname and in addition to Eco's pronunciation, there's "Featherstonehaw," "Festonhaw," "Fessonhay," "Freestonhugh" or "Feerstonhaw.

How is "Middleham" pronounced?

[Grunty]

Sometimes the pronunciation of place names was abbreviated in common speech.  For example in Shropshire, the village of Attingham was pronounced Atcham.  It has now been spelt Atcham for centuries, but Attingham Hall, built in the eighteenth century uses the old spelling and pronunciation.  Also in Shropshire, Diddlebury is pronounced Delbury, but Delbury Hall is spelt that way.

I am also intrigued by Middleham.

[jno]

there used to be - maybe still is - a dance troupe called the Cholmondeleys and Featherstonehaughs - pronounced Chumleys and Fanshaws. Yes, pronunciations often change while, at least since dictionaries started to standardise orthography in the 17th-18th centuries, spelling stays more constant. But spelling sometimes changes too, to reflect pronunciation. The old spelling of hiccough has given way to hiccup, spelt the way it is said.

[don1]

Corbyloon the Middleham near me in Yorkshire is pronounced just as it looks, I've never heard it said any other way.

I'd love to know how we got Chumley from Cholmondely or Beever from Belvoir.

[rooftrouser]

and Menzies is often pronounced "Mingies" I understand.

I am also curious about Middleham...

[amron]

There is a place near Glasgow spelled Milngavie but pronounced Milguy... Why

[Artful]

A limerick to read noting that

CHOLMONDELEY is pronounced CHUMLEY
COLQUOUN is pronounced CARKOON

A young man called Cholmondeley Colquoun
Kept as a pet a babolquhoun.
His mother said, �Cholmondeley,
Do you think it�s quite colmondeley
To feed your babolquhoun with a spolquhoun?�

Don't know where my Mam found it, nor who penned it.

[Artful]

I always heard that if up Manchester way and you get on a bus or ask for directions, don't say where you want to go show them the slip of paper where the address is WRITTEN down!

A long, long time ago I had to travel to an area on the edge of Sheffield called Beaulieu. I found a bus where this was on the front as the destination - the conductor (told you it was a long time ago!) came to take my fare, I asked for a single to 'Bowlyeu'. Oh don't go there, luv, was the reply. But it's written on the front, said I. Ohhhh, Buwleeee.... I got there!

About the same my then b/f went into a baker's and asked for "2 duffnuts, please."

English pronunciation - you open a mine of examples....

[barbwood]

middleham is pronounced middlam

[smee.tracey]

caius (keys). There's a village near hear called Ingoldisthorpe, pronounced Inglesthorpe. Don't know if that's the official pronunciation though. Years ago I worked with a woman named Sidebottam, she was Mrs Siddey-boatam! Yes, she was just like Hyachinth Bucket

[Clare A]

Similar to Artful's:

I wonder what would help my cough/A cup of coughey should/At least it wouldn't bump me ough/And it might do me gould