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Pronunciation of Argyll
I was just watching Craig Ferguson, and I heard him pronounce it as ar-GILE. I've always said it in my head as AR-gile, much like his English guest. Is that how its actually pronounced by the locals?
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 Originally Posted by ScotFree
I was just watching Craig Ferguson, and I heard him pronounce it as ar-GILE. I've always said it in my head as AR-gile, much like his English guest. Is that how its actually pronounced by the locals?
By the locals? I wouldnae ken.
But the original being "Earra-Ghàidheal", meaning something like the land or country of the Gael, it seems about right to me.
"It's all the same to me, war or peace,
I'm killed in the war or hung during peace."
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The Scots put the emphasis is on the gile as in ar-GILE. The English say AR-gile (emphasis on AR-) or ar-gile (no particular emphasis on either). The Scots way then, would be the correct way. And if you want to be really authentic... Throw another R in the middle for the brogue roll "arr-GILE" Ken?
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Breadalbane seems to give rise to the same sort of pronunciation problem.
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 Originally Posted by figheadair
Breadalbane seems to give rise to the same sort of pronunciation problem.
Yes, for the longest time I thought it followed the vowel pattern of the word "weathervane". Then at the Campbell clan tent at Arlington I heard someone pronounce it with a vowel pattern like "Godolphin", which makes sense if you think of the original Gaelic form of the name.
Speaking of toponyms, in the last few years I also discovered that my ancestral town of Heathfield in East Sussex is pronounced locally as "Heffle".
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Now why is that? American visitors most often pronounce it as you do, Scotfree: AR-gile, whereas the local emphasis is on the second syllable making it ar-GILE. In the same sentence those same visitors will pronounce one of Argyle's largest towns as o-BAN, when it should be obn.
Oh, that could be fun:
how do you pronounce "ecclefechan"?
ardamurchan?
auchterarder?
avoch?
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Muthill and Methven close to me are always good for a laugh.
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 Originally Posted by ThistleDown
Now why is that? American visitors most often pronounce it as you do, Scotfree: AR-gile, whereas the local emphasis is on the second syllable making it ar-GILE. In the same sentence those same visitors will pronounce one of Argyle's largest towns as o-BAN, when it should be obn.
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Lochaber and Monadhliath are other good ones, but honestly, we could go on and on with this! 
Cheers,
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3rd July 12, 02:35 AM
#10
And Kirkaldy will catch the unwary anytime!
[B][COLOR="Red"][SIZE="1"]Reverend Earl Trefor the Sublunary of Kesslington under Ox, Venerable Lord Trefor the Unhyphenated of Much Bottom, Sir Trefor the Corpulent of Leighton in the Bucket, Viscount Mcclef the Portable of Kirkby Overblow.
Cymru, Yr Alban, Iwerddon, Cernyw, Ynys Manau a Lydaw am byth! Yng Nghiltiau Ynghyd!
(Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall, Isle of Man and Brittany forever - united in the Kilts!)[/SIZE][/COLOR][/B]
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