The answer is at the end of the post.
Since North Georgia had November weather in October, it follows as the night the day (as Polonius once said to Laertes) that we are now having October weather in November. Today's high was 75°F (23.8889°C), and 80°F (26.6667°C) is not out of the question for Election Day on Tuesday. The sun is shining brightly; the red and gold leaves continue to fall. Meanwhile, Keith "Red" Kline in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada has reported the first blizzard of the season in his area.
Moving right along, class, we shall now learn how to pronounce correctly the names of certain states in the U.S. that many people do not pronounce correctly. You may think that you have no problems in this area. Read on.
Two of the most frequently mispronounced state names are the western states of Nevada and Colorado. You might be surprised to learn that accoording to natives of those places, the a in both words is not like the a in father. It is like the a in gather.
People from Missouri often pronounce the name of their state as though it were spelled Missoura. I don't know why. Maybe they have IFNCSCE (Indiana/Florida/North Carolina/South Carolina Envy).
Iowa is eye-oh-wuh, but one online source says that people in Iowa who are older or live in rural areas often say eye-oh-way. I hope Emma will let us know her thoughts on the subject.
Is Hawaii pronounced huh-wah-ya or huh-wah-ee or huh-wye-ee or huh-vie-ee or huh-vah-ee? Whichever one you choose, remember that the experts say a glottal stop is required and the spelling should include an apostrophe (Hawai'i). I know a woman who calls the state hah-wore-ya (she isn't trying to be funny) and my son-in-law always says "Fine, thank you, and you?" under his breath.
Louisiana is tricky and a lot of people get it wrong. I knew a woman, Marge Smith, back in Poughkeepsie, New York, 55 years who had grown up in Louisiana. She would get apoplectic whenever someone said Louise-iana. "It's named after Louis, not Louise," she would say, usually while clenching her teeth. The nearest I can come to Marge's own pronunciation is Looz-iana or Loo-iss-iana. This one might be a losing battle.
Massachusetts seems to be particularly difficult for many. I can't tell you how many times I have heard someone say Matchatoochits or Matchatooshits. I wonder sometimes if such people have a reading problem or a hearing problem.
I'm not trying to come across as judgemental. The state in which I find myself is one of bewilderment.
The answer to the question in the post title is because he was in a New York state of mind.
I am happy to contribute. Even though I was born in Nebraska and lived most of my young years there I have also lived in Iowa many many years. It is pronounced eye-oh-wuh. An Aunt who grew up in Nebraska married a man from Missouri. She always called it Missoura but I think it was an affectation.
ReplyDeleteEmma, thank you! I knew it wa eye-oh-wuh because my Dad, though born in Wisconsin, grew up in Cedar Rapid, IA, and I never heard him say anything but eye-oh-wuh.
DeleteThere are three places in the U.S. that I have noticed people change the -i ending to -a and they are Missoura, Cincinnata, and Miama. I wonder why.
P.S. to Emma: Ianother thing I don't know why is why I cannot leave comments on your blog at present, but alas, it is true. Your jack-o'-lantern post is great.
DeleteThanks for letting me know. I'll have my son check it out.
DeleteInteresting post. According to your information I pronounce most of these correctly. Some I look at and say how could you pronounce it any other way. Louisiana is a tough one. We say Louis and then you can't connect to the next vowel.
ReplyDeleteRed, thanks for stopping by! "Interesting" is an interesting word. It can mean attractive and it can mean perplexing (the dictionary doesn't say that; it's my own take).
DeleteOn the whole I pronounce US names in the way you have suggested is correct. How or why, for instance, some pronounce it Missoura I cannot understand. I always think of Massachusetts as a large gathering of false teeth. Sorry!
ReplyDelete