We all laugh when Londoners, touring East Anglia in their shiny gargantuan 4x4s, stop to ask the way to places using phonetic pronounciation of local towns and villages in East Anglia. Avid readers of this Blog would, if they existed, remember that Braintree is actually pronounced 'Brantri', and the Rodings are 'Rootings'. Rodbridge is not 'Rod Bridge' (and amateur historians have invented an imaginary former bridge constructed with rods) but a mediaeval spelling or 'Road Bridge' which is how it is pronounced.
This is not always a quaint local dialect rendition of a name as, in most cases, the original written names approximate more closely the modern dialect renditions. The written names consolidated and set in the Seventeenth century in several erratic ways, and it is a mistake to always assume that the spoken name is a rustic rendition of the written name.
Here is a definitive list of Suffolk places and their pronounciation, first printed in Vivian Harveys' 'Pronounciation of East Anglian Locations' Notes and Queries 1868-1870, and reproduced in the essential 'Origin of East Anglian Words and Sayings' by Castell Publishing, a mine of information, and quite the best current booklets on East Anglian dialect.
Spelt...Pronounced...AslactonAseltonAylshamElshamBarwickBarrikBasinghamBazyng-gameBrockdishBrodishBuekenhamBucknumBunwellBunn'ICaldecoteCorketCawson WoodrowKarsonChelmondistonChemtonChillesfordChillfudCoddenhamCoddnumCostessyCossyCovehitheCothyCowlingeCuilinge or C'lidgeCranwichCraniceCressinghamCrissengimCretinghamCreetnumCulphoCuttferDallinghooDall'n-gooDarmsdenDammersonDebachDebbidgeDebenhamDebnumDeophamDeepumDersinghamDarsn'mDunwichDunnidgeEaston BaventsEst'n Bev'nEdwardstoneEddist'nElloughEllierElmsettEmmsetElvedonElld'nErpmghamArpyng-gameEykeIkeFakenhamFake-numFalkenhamFork-numFelixstoweFlaixstow or FlixstowForncettFonsitFouldonFoudenFramlinghamFranningumFrostendenFrozend'nGarboldishamGarble's'mGaytonGytonGeddingGiddin'GippingGippenGooderstonGoodsonGosbeckGorz-brookGressenhamGresnelGrimstonGrimsonGrotonGrawt'nHalesworthHolserHappisburghHazebroHardinghamHardengimHardwickHaddickHarghamHarfhamHautboysHobbosHaverhillHave-rillHaveringlandHavillandHelminghamHemmingumHemingstoneHamst'nHepwothHepperHerringswellHornsellHeveninghamHeninghamHeveringlandHavalandHoHesleyHoselyHorhamHorrumHorningsheathHorringerHorsfordHosferHoxneHoxenHunstantonHunstonIcklinghamIckegumIpswichIpsitchIxworthIxuthKeddingtonKettonKenninghaltGennigalKesgraveKez-grevKettlebastonKettlebarstonKettleburghKerry-brahKnettishallNettsullLawshallLorz'lLaxfield-LaxfulLayhamHumLeistonLay-st'nLeizateLangferLetheringhamLethringumLetheringsettLarmettLevingtonLevertonLidgateLiggitLindseyLinnseyLong MelfordMell-fudLoundLeundLowestoftLow-es-toffMattishallLedjetMethwoldMuelMettinghamMett-en-gumMonewdenMun-ey-donMoultonMolht'nMundfordMunferMutfordMutt-fudNarfordNarferNaughtonNow-t'onNeatisheadNetes-shedNectonNaytonNedgingNegenNeedham >MarketNeedumNewbournNew-bonnNorthwoldNorrelNorwichNarge or NurritchOakleyOgly (with long O)OnehouseOne-usOultonOletonOusdenOwsd'nOvingtonOvertonPakenhamPoik-num/Pake-numPettaughFetterPickenhamPicknumPostwickPozzickRattlesdenRatelsonRedlingfieldRed-'n-fulRickinghallRick-en-hallRingshallRinn-shulRumburghRum-brerRushallRhueshallSahamSameSanton DownhamDownhamScoultonScowtonSemerSee-merShipmeadowShipp-medderShouldhamShowld'mSnettishamSnets'mSouthwoldSole or SoulStanfordStanferStiffkeyStewkeyStoke by NaylandStoke Benn-ay-lunmStonham AspalSt'n'm Arsp lStradbrokeStrubbockStratford St AndrewStratt-ferStratford St MaryStratt-fiiddSturstonStusson hixoeWixerSudburySuddbreh (clipped as'eh?')SwefflingSwuffl'nSwillandSwillunTalconestonTacklestonTanningtonTannert'nTattingstoneTattest'nTaverhamTaberhamThelnethamFeltamThetfordThetforThoringtonTorrint'nThrandestonTranst'n; FramsonThrextonTrexonThrigbyTrigbyThwaiteTwaiteTibbmhamfid'n'mTuddenhamTudd-numUbbestonUpp-st'nWactonWoughtonWaldingfieldWonnerfeld or WdnnerfulWaldringfieldWonnerfel or WunnafiilWalsham le WillowsWall-sumWangfordwangferWantisdenWorn-s'n or WonsdenWattisfield-Wassf'lWestBastwickWest BarrstwickWesterfieldWesserfelWhelnethamWellNeeth-umWhersteadWursted or WustedWillingham-WilligubWitneshamWittleshumWordwellWoddleWorlingtonWoll-'n-t'nWorlingworthWarl-'n-wuthWrattingRatt'nWymondhamWindham
1 Comments:
Barnardiston is almost certainly pronounced "Barn'dston" with the accent on the first 'Bar'. It means 'Barnard's Ton' and it is written that way in the twelfth century, so I suspect it is correctly 'Barnardston'. Heaven only knows where the 'i' came from but it is not supposed to be sounded.
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