Andy Kirkham 2,414 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 (edited) I've never known where the emphasis should go. Is it polMADDY or pol-muh-DEE? I guess it might also be polMAIDY, but I simply can't imagine that spoken in a Glaswegian accent. Edited July 15, 2020 by Andy Kirkham Link to post Share on other sites
LMS2968 2,213 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 I've always used the second pronunciation as I heard it on BR. But Edge Hill had few diagrams to Glasgow and Scousers have our own ways of pronunciation anyway! Link to post Share on other sites
Legend 5,509 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 I come from Paisley, near Glasgow and I dunno , but Id say Pol- Mad - Dee 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites
sulzer27jd 1,472 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 The second is closer but Pol-ma-dee. 1 7 Link to post Share on other sites
DavidCBroad 1,846 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 I always feel the Scots emphasise the second syllable so logically pol -Ma -Dee. as in Glas -Gie but I've heard Mallaig called Mallig and Mull-Gai. Your all just rubbing salt in the wound of my not being able to go to Scotland this June after 33 years of summer solstice period holidays in the He - Lunds. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
melmerby 14,328 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 8 minutes ago, DavidCBroad said: I always feel the Scots emphasise the second syllable so logically pol -Ma -Dee. as in Glas -Gie but I've heard Mallaig called Mallig and Mull-Gai. Your all just rubbing salt in the wound of my not being able to go to Scotland this June after 33 years of summer solstice period holidays in the He - Lunds. I thought Milngavie was Mull-Gai? 1 13 Link to post Share on other sites
Bon Accord 1,859 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 13 minutes ago, DavidCBroad said: I always feel the Scots emphasise the second syllable so logically pol -Ma -Dee. as in Glas -Gie but I've heard Mallaig called Mallig and Mull-Gai. Your all just rubbing salt in the wound of my not being able to go to Scotland this June after 33 years of summer solstice period holidays in the He - Lunds. Mal-lig is the correct pronunciation, Mal-laig is generally only used by those from points south. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites
benachie 134 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 The name was originally 3 Gaelic words - the pool of the Son of God - so, logically each syllable has equal prominence. In practice, the "ma" has slightly less emphasis. Alan 1 Link to post Share on other sites
ejstubbs 1,585 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 (edited) Wiki says primary stress on the final syllable. Overall, the evidence does seem to suggest that "polmaddy" isn't correct, though I've heard it said that way. Edited July 15, 2020 by ejstubbs Link to post Share on other sites
caradoc 4,799 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 During the 32 years of my railway career spent in Scotland I always said pol-muh-DEE, albeit in an English accent, and no-one ever corrected me ! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Eddie R v2.0 1,930 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 Another one that rips my knitting is Tyndrum. It’s meant to be pronounced Tyne-drum rather than Tin-drum as those not local to Argyll tend to use. As for Polmadie, I’ve always used pol-mah-dee-was told that was correct to one of our retired drivers who used to be based there! 4 Link to post Share on other sites
TheQ 60,087 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 (edited) Poll Mac Dè was always pronounced Pol-ma-de at the SRPS Bo'ness. 2 hours ago, Bon Accord said: Mal-lig is the correct pronunciation, Mal-laig is generally only used by those from points south. Actually sandy Bay, or Mel Vik in Old Norse, in Gaidhlig is pronounced more like Mal lik as ending "G"s often are in Gaidhlig However AI is much more random and seems to change from word to word, I can't get my brain around whether it's An A, Ai , or I in the Gaelic. Edited July 15, 2020 by TheQ Link to post Share on other sites
Ohmisterporter 4,363 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 (edited) Speaking of Gaelic, should it be pronounced Gay-lick or Ga-lick? I hear both versions used by Scots. Edited July 15, 2020 by Ohmisterporter Link to post Share on other sites
burgundy 2,717 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 As a native Gaelic speaker, my mother always said Ga-lic - with a long, soft "a". Best wishes Eric 1 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites
TheQ 60,087 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 Ga lik is the closest I can type, as the Gaels would say it. that's ga not garh . Of course the Gaels are not Scots... Link to post Share on other sites
ejstubbs 1,585 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, TheQ said: Actually sandy Bay, or Mel Vik in Old Norse As also in Melvich in Sutherland (it's on the NC500 if you're in to that sort of thing). I would tentatively suggest that Melvich has rather more of a sandy bay then Mallaig does (these days - maybe it was more attractive before the railway turned it in to a commercial harbour). Actually, the Wiki article for both places has "mel vik" as "sand dune bay". There are certainly dunes at Melvich - I've walked through them! Edited July 15, 2020 by ejstubbs Link to post Share on other sites
TheQ 60,087 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 (edited) 2 minutes ago, ejstubbs said: As also in Melvich in Sutherland (it's on the NC500 if you're in to that sort of thing). I would tentatively suggest that Melvich has rather more of a sandy bay then Mallaig does (these days - maybe it was more attractive before the railway turned it in to a commercial harbour). Sailed past it, didn't stop, it was a bit windy, we put into Scrabster for sail repairs... Edited July 15, 2020 by TheQ Link to post Share on other sites
ardbealach 968 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 Polmadie - as Legend says is pronounced "Pol -Ma -Dee" - as spoken by the locals. But it needs to be said in the right rhythym - as in the rhythym "Dum dee Dum". No emphasis on any syllable. Just "Pol- Ma- Dee". Another local pronunciation by the locals is the first station over the border going south on the West Coast Main Line. It is pronounced "Kir - Lyle" with the emphasis on the second syllable. (AM) 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Steamport Southport 11,307 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 It's pronounced Sixty Six A.... I would just go with the way it's spelt and you would get away with it - Pol Mad E or Pol Ma Dee (saying them quick sounds similar). It seems some Scots agree. So that would be good enough for me. It can sometimes be a bit patronising to the locals when "foreigners" start using local pronunciations and accents though. You don't go to Newcastle and start saying "I'm gannin' doon t' Toon", do you? You say I'm going to town. Or 27A if you have an LMS leaning. but that's more associated with Bank Hall now. Jason Link to post Share on other sites
flubrush 281 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 (edited) 7 hours ago, DavidCBroad said: I always feel the Scots emphasise the second syllable so logically pol -Ma -Dee. as in Glas -Gie but I've heard Mallaig called Mallig and Mull-Gai. As someone born in Glasgow and brought up on Clydeside, my recollection is that the city was never called "Glas-Gie" in local dialect, but "Glesga" with equal weight on both syllables. Edinburgh was called "Embra". :-) https://sco.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glesga Jim Edited July 15, 2020 by flubrush 2 5 Link to post Share on other sites
luckymucklebackit 9,130 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 5 hours ago, melmerby said: I thought Milngavie was Mull-Gai? Not unless you are one of those posh folk who pronounce it Mill-Guy and think sex is what you take the rubbish out to the midding. You could always tell folk from the village that I used to stay in, they pronounced it Eagles-ham, the outsiders called it Eagle-sham. Jim 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Luke Piewalker 201 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 And we haven't got to Strathaven or Athelstaneford yet... Link to post Share on other sites
keefer 2,194 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 As Victoria Wood once said 'all Scottish place names are spelled Ecclefechan and pronounced Kirkcudbright' 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Luke Piewalker 201 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 Ecclefechan isn't really that hard... I've never understood why radio traffic reporters have such trouble with it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
westie7 267 Posted July 15, 2020 Share Posted July 15, 2020 Pol mah Dee. And don't get me startd on some of the announcements at Glasgow Queen St. Aaargh Link to post Share on other sites
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