You can blame our English ancestors for a lot of this since most of the town names originated there. Donald Dillaby Nashua, NH -----Original Message----- From: Betty [mailto:bbffrrpp@comcast.net] Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 4:14 PM To: MAMIDDLE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [MAMiddle] PRONUNCIATION OF TOWN NAME Hi Dora, I believe the difference is how one person pronounces some word vs. how another does ... comes under the category of : do you do things the easy way or always do things the hard way ! (not you personally) (I'm always saying that to my friend - who always does things the hard way or the long way or the more difficult way.) But, this is another coincidence, as earlier this afternoon I was looking at a book on men who were part of the history of Cambridge, MA, and came across a man, named ... Forris NORRIS ! :o) (And, his first son was named, Forris Norris, Jr.) Betty (near Lowell, MA) P.S. The reason the name, Billerica, came up on the CT List is someone asked how to pronounce the name of a town in CT: North Grosvenordale ! The response was: Grove' nor Dale ! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dora Smith" <tiggernut24@yahoo.com> To: <MAMIDDLE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 12:16 PM Subject: Re: [MAMiddle] PRONUNCIATION OF TOWN NAME >I usually pronounce names the way they are spelled. That goes for >Worcester, and Gloucester. I figure that if folks want it pronounced >differently, they can change the spelling. I can live with changes in the >language over time, like silent e's, and silent gh, but "Worcester" = >"Wooster" is just too ridiculous. Even "ketchup" has changed its spelling >from teh hopelessly outdated "catsup", and that's a far less important >word. Though it is used more often, and I can see thousands of impatient >people refusing to write "catsup" for ketchup. > > Is this a product of the whole word method of teaching reading in schools? > > If Billerica isn't bill - er- ee'- kah or bill -er -eek' @ (where @ is > some sort of universal symbol for the scwa), that's still how I'm saying > it! > > I can't imagine how good old fashioned solid feet on their ground New > England stock, of which I am one, could possibly go along with > Gloucester - Glooster and Worcester - Wooster. When did it get to be > Glooster anyhow. When I was a kid, it was Foster from Gloster! > > Anyhow, it isn't a stupid question. Gloucester = Glooster could > reasonably have people asking if bat is still pronounced bat. > > Yours, > Dora Smith > Austin, TX > tiggernut24@yahoo.com > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John D. & Peggy Ledrich" <ledrich@sssnet.com> > To: <MAMIDDLE-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 10:57 AM > Subject: [MAMiddle] PRONUNCIATION OF TOWN NAME > > >> Hello >> >> I have been on this list / digest for a while now and was wondering if >> someone could tell me how is the name of Billerica pronounced??? >> >> I am a phonetic speller but this one I think is different than this OHIO >> gal knows. >> >> I do know from a friend that Worcester is pronounced (Wuster), but the >> other town I cannot ask her about. >> >> Thank you for you patience and assistance!!! >> Peggy in OHIO > > > > -- > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.6/257 - Release Date: 2/10/2006 > > ______________________________ ============================== Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx