Arkansas

[mjd]

Can anyone tell me why Arkansas is pronounced ArkanSAW?

[THECORBYLOON]

According to Wikipedia, the State passes a law in 1881 saying "Whereas, confusion of practice has arisen in the pronunciation of the name of our state and it is deemed important that the true pronunciation should be determined for use in oral official proceedings.

And, whereas, the matter has been thoroughly investigated by the State Historical Society and the Eclectic Society of Little Rock, which have agreed upon the correct pronunciation as derived from history, and the early usage of the American immigrants.

Be it therefore resolved by both houses of the General Assembly, that the only true pronunciation 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 writing in the French word representing the sound. It should be pronounced in three (3) syllables, with the final "s" silent, the "a" in each syllable with the Italian sound, and the accent on the first and last syllables. The pronunciation with the accent on the second syllable with the sound of "a" in "man" and the sounding of the terminal "s" is an innovation to be discouraged."

In other words, it's the law...

[mjd]

Thecorbyloo

Thank you, I might have thought that the French had something to do with it.

mjd

[jno]

It's an Indian word, or at least the French pronunciation of one. It's always been pronounced that way... So wy the spelling? This was also French, but they probably didn't pronounce the S on the end (as they don't in 'n'est-ce pas'). It used to be illegal to mispronounce it.

[jno]

and as TCL knows, either the law is an ass or the las is an aw...

[THECORBYLOON]

See, it's a wee bit like the way some folk spell ma name wi no "N" at the end. Or like the guy who was telt that g�teaux wasn't pronounced "gattux" but "ga-toes" to which he replied "Bolloes!"

[mjd]

Thecorbyloon
My browser displays your name as thecorbyloo(A) the (A) indocates the "answer" bubble. My apologies if iI've offended you. I've just checked on firefox to find the final "n"

And yes I did know about bollo, gatto thank you.

[THECORBYLOON]

No offence taken honest, I knew you'd be on Firefox.

[heathfield]

At least Arkansas has a defined pronounciation. My brother lived in St Louis for a while. He noted that the pronounciation by the city folk of a district called 'Gravois' swung back and forward four times while he was there.

[johnlambert]

Like Hawick in the Scottish borders is pronounced "hoik"?

[cambus]

Or Edinburgh pronounced embra.

[littlemissta]

or Belvoir is pronounced bee-ver

[Ice-Maiden]

Or Towcester - as "toaster"