“Bois D’arc”
Here in Texas we say “Bow-dark”.
~ ~ ~ ~
LOL!
Absolutely true!
And furthermore, “Baton Rouge” (meaning “Red Stick”)
is pronounced where I come from as
“Batton” -( rhymes with “Patton”)
“Rouge” = “Roodge” (ending sound dge sounds like the dge in “bridge”)
This is fun! We could probably turn this into an epic slide! “How we Americanized foreign language names!”
And even some names’ pronunciation are very obvious - except to the locals.
We know about the state of Arkansas and the Arkansas River.
It is pronounced by most as “ARK’ -kan - saw”
However, if you go to a town in the southern part of Kansas, called “Arkansas City,” you are revealed and disdained as a foreigner if you dare to call the town
“ARK’ -kan - saw” City.
And how would a poor foreigner from Oklahoma or Texas, or Colorado, or even Arkansas know?....The locals call it:
“Ark-KAN’- sas City”
They say it like the normal pronunciation of “Kansas” except they’ve put an “Ark” in front of it!
Strangely enough, the Arkansas River, WHICH FLOWS PAST ARKANSAS CITY is pronounced like the rest of us would pronounce it, as
“ARK’ -kan - saw” River.
And so they have a pronunciation split personality. Most curious. There they are living on the very banks of the “ARK’- Kan - saw River”, living in a town called “Ark-KAN-sas City.”
I’ve been trying to figure that one out for quite some time! LOL! Great people there, though! ..... just be sure to “Say It Right!”
The correct pronunciation rhymes with Vigoda, as in Abe Vigoda of Godfather fame.
Just for fun, here are some New England names from to try at home!
1) Worcester - A city in central Massachusetts.
2) Piscataqua - A river in Hew Hampshire
3) Mattawamkeag - A town in Maine
Mo-nett Mo; (Not Monete) Na-vey-da not Nevada Mo;
Not Beatrice Nebraska, but Bee-at-ris: Misourra? or Missouri?
And yes, I can see an Osage Orange (Bodark) tree from my porch! (If anyone wonders, Osage Orange wood was used by American Indians to make Bows, therefore “BoisD’Arc”.
(I cannot see the Osage Cuesta from here however! (almost!)
“North of the Cherokee Lowlands is the Osage Cuesta (pronounced kwesta) region. Cuestas have a steep slope on one side and gentler slopes on the other sides. Cuesta is the Spanish word for cliff.”
http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Physio/osage.html
and!
“Hedgeapples, the fruit of the Osage orange plant, is a natural cockroach repellent. While the oil in the fruit isn’t strong enough to actually kill the insects or keep them away from a very large area, the fruit provides a natural way to keep small areas cockroach-free and may help keep the roaches from entering your house. If you have an Osage orange hedge in your yard, this old-time remedy is worth trying.”
(Ouch! several Hard slides, onomastics, botony, geology, entomology, Whew! too much coffee? or ADHD?) reversing, getting back on Thread!
Hi Osage Orange! Hi Texokie! Hi RitaOK.
I’m gonna join in the proper pronunciation slide.
Beauregard, Alabama, is pronounced Bore-ra-gard.
Fries , Virginia, is pronounced Freeze.