Debate on pronunciation of "Appalachian"

[beakerman]

I'm convinced it's all just Native American humor...I can see it now....Two Iroquois watching some dumb English guys tromping around the woods in the middle of summer in their hot dark wool and the first Iroquois says to the second "Watch what I can get these fools to say....We call that river Susquehanna...good luck spelling it" Then after the English go back to town they laugh and say "That was pretty funny let's go see whatelse we can get tehm to say..."

[Pedaling Fool]

Occassionally I hear someone say "In the Wood", as opposed to "In the Woods". I heard it again on TV last night. Why do some people refer to the woods as the wood? Just sounds stupid.

[TrippinBTM]

There is no one right way to say it, just like there's no one right way to say any other word (as far as accents go).

A friend of mine in Tennessee says it's supposed to be "the southern way" because she lives in them, she should know, right? Well, what about the northerners who live in them, and say it the northern way?

I move that we rename the whole range the Allegheny Mountains as was proposed (and often used) before any official name was chosen by those who make official choices like that. Problem solved.

[Tinker]

Occassionally I hear someone say "In the Wood", as opposed to "In the Woods". I heard it again on TV last night. Why do some people refer to the woods as the wood? Just sounds stupid.

The same might be said of "Hiking in the bush."
Which bush? I see a LOT of them.
So English is imprecise, the rules change from day to day and region to region. Who is to say what is right? Logically, only the English. Ok, then, what PART of England?
And so it goes, round and round.........
It's quite fun, really.

[hootyhoo]

Appa le shun.

[Ender]

There is no debate... pronounce it however you want. Heck, in 1000 years it'll probably be pronounced completely differently anyway, or more likely even named something completely different. So who cares, pronounce it however you want.

I grew up saying Apple-Lay-Shun. I have friends who pronounce it Apple-At-Chun, App-Latch-In, Apple-Lay-Chin.... in the end, we're all talking about the same mountains.

[Manwich]

There is no debate... pronounce it however you want. Heck, in 1000 years it'll probably be pronounced completely differently anyway, or more likely even named something completely different. So who cares, pronounce it however you want.

I grew up saying Apple-Lay-Shun. I have friends who pronounce it Apple-At-Chun, App-Latch-In, Apple-Lay-Chin.... in the end, we're all talking about the same mountains.

with the current direction of english speech and communication, i fear for the future.

AppaLOLchin

idk, my bffl jill?

[dperry]

There is no one right way to say it, just like there's no one right way to say any other word (as far as accents go).

A friend of mine in Tennessee says it's supposed to be "the southern way" because she lives in them, she should know, right? Well, what about the northerners who live in them, and say it the northern way?

I move that we rename the whole range the Allegheny Mountains as was proposed (and often used) before any official name was chosen by those who make official choices like that. Problem solved.

Actually, that might not help either. I've heard it both Al-uh-gay-nee and Aluh-guh-hay-nee.

[TrippinBTM]

We can use the "english" spelling, which is Allegany. Problem solved?

[DrRichardCranium]

I would like to propose an idea for a new tradition:

Perhaps at Trail Days, or some other Gathering, there should be a MASSIVE WATER BALLOON FIGHT, pitting the "short-a" pronouncers vs the "long-a" pronouncers.

That would seem to be the mature way to settle the issue.

[Wise Old Owl]

I'm convinced it's all just Native American humor...I can see it now....Two Iroquois watching some dumb English guys tromping around the woods in the middle of summer in their hot dark wool and the first Iroquois says to the second "Watch what I can get these fools to say....We call that river Susquehanna...good luck spelling it" Then after the English go back to town they laugh and say "That was pretty funny let's go see whatelse we can get tehm to say..."

Hey You got a chuckle! - I liked it.

[Skyline]

Another vote for Apple-Latchin in case anyone's keeping score.

A few years ago Felix McGillicuddy wrote a piece where it turned out to be Apple-Asian. But I think he was just trying to be politically incorrect.

[Skyline]

I would like to propose an idea for a new tradition:

Perhaps at Trail Days, or some other Gathering, there should be a MASSIVE WATER BALLOON FIGHT, pitting the "short-a" pronouncers vs the "long-a" pronouncers.

That would seem to be the mature way to settle the issue.

So the South can rise again?

[Reid]

Here's a good link I grabbed off another thread a week or so ago.

http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/d13...an_Appalachian

[Summit]

"Short-a" according to all the PHDs at Appalachian State University!

[soad]

"Short-a" according to all the PHDs at Appalachian State University!

I vote for a 'short-a' for ASU...it's their school they can decide how it's pronounced. The mountain range should be the 'long-a'.

[Summit]

The mountain range should be the 'long-a'.

Based on what? Northern tradition takes precedence over Southern tradition?

[soad]

Based on what? Northern tradition takes precedence over Southern tradition?

The dancing banana is from Vermont, he made the final decision.

[Summit]

The dancing banana is from Vermont, he made the final decision.

That does it! I'm for another civil war over this!

[Wags]

apparently. i looked it up and it seems that it's correctly pronounced "lay" if you're in the north, and "latch" if you're in the south. so i'm assuming at pennmar park you must make the change