Lake District Place Pronunciations

[Dovegirl]

The other problem I have is do I sound pretentious if I slip in to Cumbrian pronunciation when I'm clearly not a local.
I know that Skid-ore is Skidder but I would never say it.

I'm wondering if some pronunciations are more local than others?  I might say Scorefell as I've heard it pronounced that way on TV, suggesting it may have a wider currency. But I'd feel self-conscious saying Skidder, as I hadn't heard of that pronunciation till this thread!

[sparnel]

If you think Lake District names are hard to pronounce, have a go at some of the Scottish hills!
Na Gruagaichean, Beinn Bheithir (vair), Loch Avon (Loch Ann), Garbhein (Garven)...................

[April]

What about Loughrigg fell?  I read/hear (in my head)/say Luffrigg.  However, I've heard it pronnounced Loch-rigg (like you'd say a Scottish loch) 

You are right Mel, Luffrigg is the way to say it, Wainwright says so 

I know that Skid-ore is Skidder but I would never say it. In the same way I wouldn't say that April is from nyCAssle.

This is where things get complicated! I'm from Newcastle but I don't use "Nycassle". I say "Knewcassil"
Maybe there are different ways to pronounce things if you're are a local in Cumbria?

I am surprised that people don't know about Skiddaw being pronounced Skidda. I very rarely hear people using Skiddaw it is nearly always Skidda I hear when I'm out and about.

There is a customer at work who insists he lives in Kes-wick, he won't accept "Kessick" as his address and he corrects you when you pronounce it Kessick  He is a southerner mind 

[beefy]

In the same way I wouldn't say that April is from nyCAssle.

No shes from alcoholics anonymous   

This is where things get complicated! I'm from Newcastle but I don't use "Nycassle". I say "Knewcassil"

That's because your a posh Geordie 

[Rather be walking]

Down on the south coast.
We have Cocking locally pronounced Coeing (like toeing the line).
Also Bosham locally pronounced Bozzum.

Jon.

[BrionyB]

I hope it's OK to revive an old thread. I just wanted some advice on pronouncing certain place names so I can ask for a ticket to them on the bus (probably overthinking it but I am really self-conscious about getting such things wrong, have never dared try to go to Ravenstonedale, for instance... ).


Rydal and Seatoller? Threlkeld? Rosthwaite I assume is said as it's written but I could be wrong? All familiar names but rarely have occasion to say them out loud. Thankfully I know how to say Keswick. 

[richardh1905]

I think that in Dunnerdale the 'thwaite' in Seathwaite is pronounced something like 'thet', but I have a suspicion that in Borrowdale, the 'thwaites' might be different.

[BrionyB]

Thanks Richard. I didn't actually know there was more than one Seathwaite, only know the Borrowdale one, but then there is a certain amount of duplication in Lake District names (in fact there's another Borrowdale, isn't there, now I think of it...  )

[Strider]

I was once told that Ruthwaite (as in the climbing hut in Grisedale) is 'Ruthet' so 'Sethet' makes sense.

How about Glaramara, long or short 'a's ?

[ninthace]

I like 3 shorts and long but not in that order.

[Skip]

How about Glaramara, long or short 'a's ?

I've only heard it pronounced as Glarrermarruh (with the stress on the 'marr' syllable)

What about Aspatria?

[snaderson]

In Terry Abraham's Blencathra film, the local fella pronounces Threlkeld as Threll-k'l (no stress on the second syllable). James Rebanks in interviews refers to Dowthwaite, pronounced the way it's written, but admits he's being posh and would normally call it Dow-thet. So I guess there are two pronunciations in a lot of cases - the local and the general (Gow-barrer vs Go-barrow).

[MkPotato]

The other problem I have is do I sound pretentious if I slip in to Cumbrian pronunciation when I'm clearly not a local.
I know that Skid-ore is Skidder but I would never say it. In the same way I wouldn't say that April is from nyCAssle.

I have the same issue. I don’t really feel right saying skidder or scawfell, even though they appear to be the correct local pronunciation. Welsh names are even more difficult, as I find it nigh-on impossible give them the proper Welsh pronunciation, but on the other hand I don’t really want to do a lazy English mauling. I try to aim for “an Englishman making valiant but ultimately futile effort”.


In a wider sense it’s a rabbit-hole. You can’t really say “Pa-ree” or “Barth-a-lona” without sounding a bit silly (unless you’re in France or Spain). Don’t particularly like “poor-sher” either.  I think we have to go with accepted wider pronunciation in the country we’re in.

[snaderson]

In a wider sense it’s a rabbit-hole. You can’t really say “Pa-ree” or “Barth-a-lona” without sounding a bit silly (unless you’re in France or Spain). Don’t particularly like “poor-sher” either.  I think we have to go with accepted wider pronunciation in the country we’re in.

Definitely. Having been to Iceland a number of times I find it hard not to say (correctly-ish) Ray-kyah-veek instead of Wreck-yer-vick. But then it used to annoy me that my Danish mate who lived in Ghent always spelled it Gent (though he referred to Copenhagen rather than København in talking to me!).

[forgotmyoldpassword]

In Terry Abraham's Blencathra film, the local fella pronounces Threlkeld as Threll-k'l (no stress on the second syllable). James Rebanks in interviews refers to Dowthwaite, pronounced the way it's written, but admits he's being posh and would normally call it Dow-thet. So I guess there are two pronunciations in a lot of cases - the local and the general (Gow-barrer vs Go-barrow).

Just as an aside, it's worth mentioning that it's less about local accents and more about super local accents - more about historical.  For example Threlk'l with a silent d is exactly how you'd pronounce this were you speaking Norse (phonetically it'd be more th'rill'kill) and it would appear that whilst the 'e' sound has Anglicised itself throughout the years we have still retained the historical pronunciation atypical to Cumbrian due to the nature of the people pushing into the area.