Trivia: Place names that you're not sure how to pronounce

[SouthStand]

For some inexplicable reason, the good folk of Huddersfield seem to pronounce "Leeds" as "weeds"

 

[61653 HTAFC]

For some inexplicable reason, the good folk of Huddersfield seem to pronounce "Leeds" as "weeds"

I suspect you already know that that's reserved for the football team, not the city... I agree that it's juvenile though.

 

[ValleyLines142]

A few in South Wales.

Beddau: which many people (myself included, for a while!) pronounce it as 'Bed-Eye' or 'Bed-ow' (same as cow). It is in fact pronounced 'Bay-ther'.

Abertillery: Aber-till-lairy

Pontyclun: Ponty-clean

Ystrad Mynach: Us-trud Munnock

Tir Phil: Tear Phil (as in to cry tears, not tear as in rip a piece of paper)

Rhymney: Rum-knee

Llanedeyrn: Llan-edin

Llanhilleth: Llan-hiLLLLLeth (not Llan-hilluf)

Abercynon: Aber-cunnon

Bettws: Bettice (exactly as lettuce)

Bassaleg: Baze-leg (not Bass-leg)

Nantgarw: Nant-garu

Creigiau: Cry-ghur

Pentyrch: Penturk

Laleston: Lalerston (not La-Leston)

North and South Cornelly: is actually Conolly, as in Billy Connolly

Cwmafan: Coom-arfun

Pontardawe: Pont-ur-dowee

Pontarddulais: Pont-ur-duth-lice

Pontllanfraith: Pont-llan-frythe

Manorbier: Manor-beer

Ynysybwl: Unnis-a-bull

Penrhiwceiber: Pen-roo-kyeber

Maerdy: Mar-dee (as in Mardi Gras or the French word for Tuesday)

Treorchi: Tree-orky

Llantrisant: Llan-trissunt

Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant: Llam-rayadurum-mock-nunt

 

[Esker-pades]

In the South Wales Valleys there is a large village called Beddau, which many people (myself included!) pronounce it as 'Bed-Eye' or 'Bed-ow' (same as cow).

It is in fact pronounced 'Bay-ther'.

I would have guessed 'Beth-eye'.

 

[hexagon789]

In the South Wales Valleys there is a large village called Beddau, which many people (myself included!) pronounce it as 'Bed-Eye' or 'Bed-ow' (same as cow).

It is in fact pronounced 'Bay-ther'.

I would've assumed "bay-thow" but I can understand why it's what it actually is.

 

[ValleyLines142]

I would've assumed "bay-thow" but I can understand why it's what it actually is.

I've added some more, checking with my cousin who's fluent Welsh.

Interesting actually as I'm Cardiff born and bred (I now live in Wiltshire) but half the places I always got wrong!

 

[snookertam]

Anywhere in Wales...

You don't know how to pronounce Newport?

 

[6026KingJohn]

You don't know how to pronounce Newport?

Cas Newydd (Cas new-uth)?

 

[hexagon789]

I've added some more, checking with my cousin who's fluent Welsh.

Interesting actually as I'm Cardiff born and bred (I now live in Wiltshire) but half the places I always got wrong!

If anything figuring out the Welsh pronunciation of placenames is easier than Scottish Gaelic. Maybe it's just me but Welsh seems more consistent and intuitive once you get the basics of the orthography

 

[Merthyr Imp]

I've also heard Bay-ther for Beddau.

In my local area, my wife, born and bred in Penydarren pronounces it as Pen-Darren whereas some people also Merthyr-born pronounce it as Penny-Darren.

Similarly, some Merthyr-born people pronounce Dowlais and Morlais as Dow-lice and Mor-lice whereas others say Dow-luss and Mor-luss.

Don't ask me - I only live here!

 

[hexagon789]

I've also heard Bay-ther for Beddau.

In my local area, my wife, born and bred in Penydarren pronounces it as Pen-Darren whereas some people also Merthyr-born pronounce it as Penny-Darren.

Similarly, some Merthyr-born people pronounce Dowlais and Morlais as Dow-lice and Mor-lice whereas others say Dow-luss and Mor-luss.

Don't ask me - I only live here!

Aren't there some differences within Welsh itself in terms of how certain letters and combinations of letters (particularly vowels) can be pronounced? In particular a north/south Wales division linguistically?

 

[ValleyLines142]

If anything figuring out the Welsh pronunciation of placenames is easier than Scottish Gaelic. Maybe it's just me but Welsh seems more consistent and intuitive once you get the basics of the orthography

There's some Scottish places I just haven't got a clue with. Milngavie is something like 'Mul-guy' isn't it?!

 

[Merthyr Imp]

There's some Scottish places I just haven't got a clue with. Milngavie is something like 'Mul-guy' isn't it?!

Then there's Kirk-oddy and Kin-yewsie.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Then there's Kirk-oddy and Kin-yewsie.

I knew about Kirkcaldy. I take it Kin-yewsie is Kingussie on the way to Aviemore?

 

[Merthyr Imp]

I take it Kin-yewsie is Kingussie on the way to Aviemore?

That's how I've heard it pronounced anyway.

 

[alistairlees]

I knew about Kirkcaldy. I take it Kin-yewsie is Kingussie on the way to Aviemore?

Correct

 

[ValleyLines142]

Correct

What about that Uig place on the Highlands? Is it 'Weej'?

 

[hexagon789]

There's some Scottish places I just haven't got a clue with. Milngavie is something like 'Mul-guy' isn't it?!

Exactly that, "mull-guy".

 

[rf_ioliver]

I've also heard Bay-ther for Beddau.

Yep, that was more or less it...I went to school there a long time ago

 

[PeterC]

I've also heard Bay-ther for Beddau.

In my local area, my wife, born and bred in Penydarren pronounces it as Pen-Darren whereas some people also Merthyr-born pronounce it as Penny-Darren.

Similarly, some Merthyr-born people pronounce Dowlais and Morlais as Dow-lice and Mor-lice whereas others say Dow-luss and Mor-luss.

Don't ask me - I only live here!

While Welsh doesn't have the "banana skin" pronunciations that English has, place names aren't always pronounced quite as the purists would like.

The one that always gets me is Blaenavon. (The locals seem to prefer the spelling used by the ironworks). I have known several people from that valley and they all say Blen-av-on while the BBC say Bleye-nav-on.

 

[ValleyLines142]

While Welsh doesn't have the "banana skin" pronunciations that English has, place names aren't always pronounced quite as the purists would like.

The one that always gets me is Blaenavon. (The locals seem to prefer the spelling used by the ironworks). I have known several people from that valley and they all say Blen-av-on while the BBC say Bleye-nav-on.

To be fair, I think the 'blen' is basically 'bleye' but said really fast!

 

[MrEd]

What about that Uig place on the Highlands? Is it 'Weej'?

The local Skye pronunciation is Oo-ig (it’s two syllables), although the final ’g’ is not as hard as in the English word ’big’, and sounds a lot more like (though perhaps not identical to) the final ’g’ in a lot of German words (richtig, Leipzig etc). There’s an Uig in Lewis too, which is pronounced in a similar way (I believe this is a place name of Scandinavian origin, as with a lot of place names in the northern Hebrides).

 

[hexagon789]

The local Skye pronunciation is Oo-ig (it’s two syllables), although the final ’g’ is not as hard as in the English word ’big’, and sounds a lot more like (though perhaps not identical to) the final ’g’ in a lot of German words (richtig, Leipzig etc). There’s an Uig in Lewis too, which is pronounced in a similar way (I believe this is a place name of Scandinavian origin, as with a lot of place names in the northern Hebrides).

I always thought it was "You-ig"? That's what I'd previously heard anyway.

 

[Zamracene749]

So, just a guess, are Uig and Wick synonymous then? Ie corruptions over time of the same basic word? I suppose this applies to the many places ending -wich and -aig too?

 

[hexagon789]

So, just a guess, are Uig and Wick synonymous then? Ie corruptions over time of the same basic word? I suppose this applies to the many places ending -wich and -aig too?

From Old Norse - vic meaning an inlet or a bay

 

[Zamracene749]

From Old Norse - vic meaning an inlet or a bay

Thanks, that makes sense of the silent 'w' pronunciation of many towns in NE England eg Berwick, Alnwick, Runswick and perhaps even Norwich

 

[hexagon789]

Thanks, that makes sense of the silent 'w' pronunciation of many towns in NE England eg Berwick, Alnwick, Runswick and perhaps even Norwich

Norwich apparently derives from Northwic

 

[gimmea50anyday]

For some inexplicable reason, the good folk of Huddersfield seem to pronounce "Leeds" as "weeds"

When the 185s were first introduced and “RoboKat” (the original PIS nickname as the voice was a station supervisor called Kath) was first programmed, Leeds was pronounces as “Bleeds”

 

[DavidGrain]

It always amazed me that my SatNav lady could pronounce Droitwich, which by the way was a salt town like the many towns in Cheshire with -wich in their names.

 

[PeterC]

Norwich apparently derives from Northwic

"Wic(h)" place names can come from Norse, Anglo-Saxon or Latin with different derivations.