GWR loco names - correct pronunciation

[jjnewitt]

That's why I originally wrote "if we assume the heritage of the name to be Welsh"  etc

.

Brian R

Absolutely, I didn't say that you assumed it it was Welsh.

 

I wonder if there is really anything such as 'correct' pronunciation. Languages are living entities they intermingle and evolve, they aren't stuck at one point in time but change and pronunciation also changes over time. If everyone pronounces a place in one particular way then that becomes the 'correct' or perhaps 'conventional' way of saying it. 

[tomparryharry]

There is a town just outside Cardiff, which has 3 pronunciations.

 

If you live in Cardiff, its called Penarrrth

 

If you live outside Cardiff, its called Penarth.

 

If you live there, and have aspirations, its called Pennorth.

 

Regards,

Ian

[tomparryharry]

Ok, last from me, otherwise the Mods will be angry

 

You can try:-

 

Cilfynydd,

Pwllyrhebog,

Pontygwaith,

Boedringallt,

Blaengwawr

Gwryhd

Sengenhydd

Troedyrhiw

Aerw (correct pronunciation, please).

Pantyffynon.

 

Funny. As I'm typing these out, I'm getting red lines underneath. I don't know why!

 

Regards,

Ian

[jcm@gwr]

By the way, speaking of plough, in the US it is spelt as plow but pronounced as plough and not as slow. So much for simplification of the language.

"I'm rather slow, as I'm finding this field rather tough to plough/plow" All teachers of English to small children have my sympathy and admiration.

 

David

 

We sew seams,

we also sow seeds,

so it seems!

 

We all know how to pronounce 'laughter',

now replace the 'L' with a 'D' and what do

you have now?

 

Jeff

[MPR]

Back to the GWR loco names....and members of the Bulldog class.

 

Does anybody know who, what or where "Blasius" was and how to pronounce it?

 

Thanks

 

Martin

[The Stationmaster]

That must be a new sport then "Extreme lodging !"

 

As were a regular in the area Mike, no point in asking you to pronounce Beddau, Penycoedcae, Hirwaun or Penrhiwceiber (as the locals do and not necessarily the correct way .......)

.

Brian R

Best bit of amusement was one day in the Rhymney Valley - I stopped off to buy some cigs and as I came out of the shop a lorry drew up opposite and the driver shouted 'Oi mate canyer tell us the way to whystradd my-natch?'

 

To which I replied - 'You're lucky you asked me, the locals round here wouldn't have a clue what you're on about - keep on up the valley and follow the signs'

 

PS seeing mention of the khyber reminds me that the GWR anglicised the name to that ending of course.

[br2975]

There is a town just outside Cardiff, which has 3 pronunciations.

 

If you live in Cardiff, its called Penarrrth

 

If you live outside Cardiff, its called Penarth.

 

If you live there, and have aspirations, its called Pennorth.

 

Regards,

Ian

 

At one time the population of Penarth comprised a higher than normal percentage of elderly folk - and in my then job Penarth was known as "Gods waiting room".

 

Brian R

[Cornish Triang Paul]

Now then - Praae Sands. Is it Praa or Pray.......?????!!

[tomparryharry]

Best bit of amusement was one day in the Rhymney Valley - I stopped off to buy some cigs and as I came out of the shop a lorry drew up opposite and the driver shouted 'Oi mate canyer tell us the way to whystradd my-natch?'

 

To which I replied - 'You're lucky you asked me, the locals round here wouldn't have a clue what you're on about - keep on up the valley and follow the signs'

 

PS seeing mention of the khyber reminds me that the GWR anglicised the name to that ending of course.

You must have been in either Caerphilly, or Llanbradach, judging by your response....

[Gwiwer]

Always "Pray Sands", never "Prar".  But it seems to fox quite a few people who have been known to ask for directions (or "dreckshuns" in the local dialect ) to "Per-har Sands", "Par Sands" (which are actually much closer to St. Austell  than Penzance ), "Pahrer Sands", "Pree-ah Sands" and Pra-hah Sands".  At least!

 

That's if they can first get past Marazion, Perranuthnoe, Relubbus and Goldsithney on the way out of Penzance.

 

Tintagel?  Don't get me started.  But it does return to the OP in that the locomotive was "Tin-TAJ'l Castle" (or "Cassle") and not "Tin-tay-jel", "TIN-ter-g'l" or "Tin-TAR-gle"  .........

[trisonic]

Beddau = Bayther ( I think)!

 

You want a laugh go back to the Sixties and listen to the (American) The Byrds singing "The Bells of Rhymney"

 

No doubt I'll be corrected ad nauseum.....

 

Best, Pete.

[Coppercap]

 

OK, coming back to the English side of the border folk should be grateful "Coonsbury" (as I have been told it is pronounced) never made it onto a nameplate - we always used to get the giggles when non locals tried to get their chops round Congresbury.

 

As for Nailsea (correctly pronounced Nailsee), Clevedon (Cleevedon not Clevdon as I have hear) and others in the area it could be quite amusing at times. Add in the Bristle effect for some at it got even more entertaining.

To my ears, Nailsea is pronounced locally as Nailzee. But yes, Clevedon is pronounced Cleevedon. Can't say I've heard anyone call Congresbury 'Coonsbury' except when trying to make it sound more up-market, or simply in jest. Most Bristolians seem to call it 'Congsbury'.

Also, I've never heard locals call Bristol anything like 'Bristle'. It's more likely to be 'Brizzle', but proper Bristolians seem to say 'Bristol' (but don't properly pronounce the L, making it sound more like a W).

[Andy Kirkham]

Slaithwaite was "Sleth-it" last time I was up there.  With a soft "th"

 

In terms of locomotive names follow your instincts.  Also don't assume someone sniggering at you has the right answer.  There may not be one definitive "right answer" as this thread as already shown.

 

More (BR WR rather than GWR) names which have given rise to debate or confusion at times include Cambrian ("Caym-bree-an" or "Camm-bree-an"?)  Temeraire" (is it Tee-mer-air" or "Temmer-aire"?),  Zebra (the eternal "Zee-bra" or "Zebb-ra"?), Western Leviathan ("Le-VIA-thun", "LEVVY-ay-thun" or "LEVVY-a-thun"?) and I even heard Western Viscount referred to as "Viss-count" by more than one person.

 

The trickiest of the Warships might be D837 Ramillies. The name of that village in Belgium is pronounced Ram-ee-yee, but the name of the battle fought there (hence that of the ship and the loco) is pronounced (at least by the British) as Ram-i-leez.

[Gwiwer]

The name of that village in Belgium is pronounced Ram-ee-yeeThe name of that village in Belgium is pronounced Ram-ee-yee

 

 

But then they pronounce "Yooro-star" as "Ooro-star" (with rolled first r) when speaking French.  Just as they do in Paris

[trisonic]

My folks used to pronounce Cirencester = Sisister.

 

My Dad's family were from around there too. I think that that has fallen out of favour since the influx of newcomers....

 

Best, Pete.

[Gwiwer]

I've heard "sisister"  and figured it out.  It's one of those which confuses people who hear it pronounced then stop and ask the way to "Syren-sester" .

 

At least it was used (and among some folk still is) by those with a genuine connection to the area.  Unlike the "Yuppification" of some names which when they became popular among that ilk were "renamed" "Clarm" (Clapham - sometimes also "Claff'm") and "St. Ockwell" for nearby Stockwell.  Up the road Vauxhall has been "Vox'll" or "Vox-hall" among most people for as long as I can remember but the occasional visitor still seeks directions to "Vo-hill".

[Andy Kirkham]

They must have been unaware at Swindon how the letter f is pronounced in Welsh when they produced 6825 Llanvair Grange and 6877 Llanfair Grange.

 

Apparently they are both named after the same building.

[John_Hughes]

 

To my ears, Nailsea is pronounced locally as Nailzee. But yes, Clevedon is pronounced Cleevedon. Can't say I've heard anyone call Congresbury 'Coonsbury' except when trying to make it sound more up-market, or simply in jest. Most Bristolians seem to call it 'Congsbury'.

Also, I've never heard locals call Bristol anything like 'Bristle'. It's more likely to be 'Brizzle', but proper Bristolians seem to say 'Bristol' (but don't properly pronounce the L, making it sound more like a W).

 

Come on, the Bristol L tacked on to the end of almost anything that ends in a vowel is famous the world over! Historically the city was indeed Bristow, but that famous L changed it for ever!

 

South Americal is a malarial areal! That'll give 'ee an ideal of how it works!

[6959]

My folks used to pronounce Cirencester = Sisister.

 

My Dad's family were from around there too. I think that that has fallen out of favour since the influx of newcomers....

 

Best, Pete.

Around Kemble and neighbouring villages Cirencester is often abbreviated to 'Ciren' as in "Siren" which is what I use. Cirencester is too long and pompous.

[Gwiwer]

the Bristol L tacked on to the end of almost anything that ends in a vowel is famous the world over!

 

The Bristol L also used to be famous for transporting bus passengers

[Killybegs]

 

To my ears, Nailsea is pronounced locally as Nailzee. But yes, Clevedon is pronounced Cleevedon. Can't say I've heard anyone call Congresbury 'Coonsbury' except when trying to make it sound more up-market, or simply in jest. Most Bristolians seem to call it 'Congsbury'.

Also, I've never heard locals call Bristol anything like 'Bristle'. It's more likely to be 'Brizzle', but proper Bristolians seem to say 'Bristol' (but don't properly pronounce the L, making it sound more like a W).

As a 'Brissle' lad, I grew up hearing it pronounced Coomsbury but nowadays very few people would know where you were talking about. It's all them youngsters and incomers! Incidentally, Almondsbury used to be known locally as Amesbury, which I used to find very confusing as there was a place of that name 'down south'.

[Killybegs]

Around Kemble and neighbouring villages Cirencester is often abbreviated to 'Ciren' as in "Siren" which is what I use. Cirencester is too long and pompous.

Agreed.

 

Ex resident of said town and off there next week for youngest grand-daughter's christening.

[Coppercap]

My folks used to pronounce Cirencester = Sisister.

 

My Dad's family were from around there too. I think that that has fallen out of favour since the influx of newcomers....

 

Best, Pete.

My grandad (from Gloster), used to call it Sisister.

[Coppercap]

 

As a 'Brissle' lad, I grew up hearing it pronounced Coomsbury but nowadays very few people would know where you were talking about. It's all them youngsters and incomers! Incidentally, Almondsbury used to be known locally as Amesbury, which I used to find very confusing as there was a place of that name 'down south'.

Ah, I thought I'd heard it as Coomsbury, not Coonsbury, but wasn't sure!

[Coppercap]

 

Come on, the Bristol L tacked on to the end of almost anything that ends in a vowel is famous the world over! Historically the city was indeed Bristow, but that famous L changed it for ever!

 

South Americal is a malarial areal! That'll give 'ee an ideal of how it works!

Ah, but the Bristol L rule doesn't apply to the local pronunciation of Bristol, unless speaking to an 'outsider'! Mind, you don't hear the Bristol L spoken much nowadays, just walk around the city centre and you'd be lucky to hear a really local accent anymore..........(half don't even speak English).