Re: Arkansas = Arkinsaw

"Richard Heathfield" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Mark Brader wrote:
>
> > Edgar De Blieck:
> >>>>> What other place names are there like Arkansas and Kansas, with
> >>>>> two or more sound elements spelled the same and pronounced
differently
> >>>>> within the same country and in the same language?
> >
> > Mark Brader:
> >>> There's also a *correct* example with Worcester, if you look to
England.
> >>> Take Worcester and Leicester on the one hand ("Wooster" and "Lester"),
> >
> > Richard Heathfield:
> >> Pronunciation is always tricky. "Wooster", to me, looks like it should
> >> rhyme  with "booster".
> >
> > I know, but you can also imagine it with short OO as in book, which is
> > what I intended.
> >
> >> In the UK, the "Wor" of Worcester is pronounced in the same
> >> way as it is in "world".
> >
> > Even among nonrhotic speakers?  I don't think there's an R there then.
>
> Agreed. (I don't actually pronounce the 'r' in "world", though - I see it
> more as a modifier to turn 'o' into 'uh', if you see what I mean.)
>
> > In any case, my reference was to the common element -cester.
>
> You don't seriously think a Usenet discussion can stay that tightly
focused,
> do you? :-)
>
> >>> and Circencester on the other (pronounced either as spelled or
> >>> "Sissiter").
> >
> >> I don't recall ever hearing it pronounced "Sissiter".
> >
> > It is supposed to be obsolete or nearly so.  Again, the point is that it
> > *isn't* "sirenster".
>
> Yes, it certainly isn't. :-)
>
> Somewhat off the point, I know, but my favourite candidate for "strangest
UK
> pronunciation" is "Salop", which is pronounced "Shropshire".
>
No, no, no. Salop is pronounced [EMAIL PROTECTED], being a shortened form of Salopia;
the Roman name of the county. The motto is 'Floreat Salopia'.
m.