OK, Orcadians, please enlighten. Last week's Orcadian has an article on how roadsigns around the Ring are being corrected to read Brodgar instead of Brogar in order to reflect local pronunciation. Then the article quotes two locals offering completely incompatible instructions on how to pronounce the word. Can anyone clear this up? I've heard it pronounced Brod-gar, Bro-gar, Brod-year, and as a rhyme for Lodger. Thanks, Jim

On 22 January 2004 17:48, Jim Thompson or Jean Swanson wrote: > Then the > article quotes two locals offering completely incompatible > instructions on how to pronounce the word. Can anyone clear this up? > I've heard it > pronounced Brod-gar, Bro-gar, Brod-year, and as a rhyme for Lodger. The Broad-yur pronunciation is probably a Stenness variant, and as such is probably technically correct. It is certainly recorded as being pronounced like that in the 1950s. The Broad-gur pronunciation commonly found in Orkney these days is a "standardised" Orcadian pronunciation of garth/gar (from the Old Norse gardr). -- Sigurd Towrie Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk