No shit, dear readers. One of the reliable markers distinguishing long-term New Orleanians from others is how we pronounce local streets and neighborhoods. Here's a sample:
Tremé - Tre-may.
Marigny - Mar-in-yee
Calliope - Cal-ee-ope.
Melpomene - Mel-po-meen. This street is now Dr. Martin L. King Boulevard.
Therpiscore - Ter-pis-core.
Clio - C. L. Ten.
Erato - Ee-rat-oh
Urania - You-rain-e-ya
Thalia - Thal-ya.
Carondelet - Ca-ron-de-let.
Euterpe - You-terp
Iberville - Eye-ber-vill
Bienville - Bee-en-vill
Charters - Char-ters
Conti - Kawn-tie
Dauphine - Daw-feen
Kerlerec - Ker-ler-ek
Thoupitoulas - Chop-a-tou-las
Classical scholars may roll over in their graves; but these pronunciations are the modal ones actually used by Orleanians. Sometimes it is due to the peculiarities of the languages originally used by different ethnic groups; sometimes it's to be funny; and some is due to sheer perversity. C. L. Ten, indeed!
C. L. Ten reminds me of the error code often cited by help desk techs to refer to the root cause of a computer problem - I.D. Ten T, or "idiot."
ReplyDeleteWhen a new news person comes to St. Louis there are a whole bunch of street names they have to learn to pronounce the St. Louis way.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder they are so hard to understand.
ReplyDeleteLocal Usage RULES! Thanks for these, Angel.
ReplyDeleteWarmly, Cloudia Charters - Char-ters
Charters is not pronounced like the French city?
ReplyDelete