The Foxearth and District Local History Society

The Hysterical Hystorian

For occasional articles, snippets and announcements by the Resident Historians.These articles are presented in date order, but if you explore the back-catalogue, you may find much of interest. Historical information doesn't really go out of date! Any member of the F&DLHS may add an entry or make a comment to an existing entry once they have got their userID and password from the Webmaster.

If you'd like to publish any interesting material about the history of East Anglia on the site, then please send an email to the Resident Historians at Andrew.Clarke@Foxearth.org.uk and we'll add it.

Family Historians have their own area on the site, so look there if your main interest is in tracing your family history.

Friday, July 15, 2005

Suffolk Placenames and how they should be pronounced

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...
Aslacton
Aselton
Aylsham
Elsham
Barwick
Barrik
Basingham
Bazyng-game
Brockdish
Brodish
Buekenham
Bucknum
Bunwell
Bunn'I
Caldecote
Corket
Cawson Woodrow
Karson
Chelmondiston
Chemton
Chillesford
Chillfud
Coddenham
Coddnum
Costessy
Cossy
Covehithe
Cothy
Cowlinge
Cuilinge or C'lidge
Cranwich
Cranice
Cressingham
Crissengim
Cretingham
Creetnum
Culpho
Cuttfer
Dallinghoo
Dall'n-goo
Darmsden
Dammerson
Debach
Debbidge
Debenham
Debnum
Deopham
Deepum
Dersingham
Darsn'm
Dunwich
Dunnidge
Easton Bavents
Est'n Bev'n
Edwardstone
Eddist'n
Ellough
Ellier
Elmsett
Emmset
Elvedon
Elld'n
Erpmgham
Arpyng-game
Eyke
Ike
Fakenham
Fake-num
Falkenham
Fork-num
Felixstowe
Flaixstow or Flixstow
Forncett
Fonsit
Fouldon
Fouden
Framlingham
Franningum
Frostenden
Frozend'n
Garboldisham
Garble's'm
Gayton
Gyton
Gedding
Giddin'
Gipping
Gippen
Gooderston
Goodson
Gosbeck
Gorz-brook
Gressenham
Gresnel
Grimston
Grimson
Groton
Grawt'n
Halesworth
Holser
Happisburgh
Hazebro
Hardingham
Hardengim
Hardwick
Haddick
Hargham
Harfham
Hautboys
Hobbos
Haverhill
Have-rill
Haveringland
Havilland
Helmingham
Hemmingum
Hemingstone
Hamst'n
Hepwoth
Hepper
Herringswell
Hornsell
Heveningham
Heningham
Heveringland
Havaland
HoHesley
Hosely
Horham
Horrum
Horningsheath
Horringer
Horsford
Hosfer
Hoxne
Hoxen
Hunstanton
Hunston
Icklingham
Ickegum
Ipswich
Ipsitch
Ixworth
Ixuth
Keddington
Ketton
Kenninghalt
Gennigal
Kesgrave
Kez-grev
Kettlebaston
Kettlebarston
Kettleburgh
Kerry-brah
Knettishall
Nettsull
Lawshall
Lorz'l
Laxfield-
Laxful
Layham
Hum
Leiston
Lay-st'n
Leizate
Langfer
Letheringham
Lethringum
Letheringsett
Larmett
Levington
Leverton
Lidgate
Liggit
Lindsey
Linnsey
Long Melford
Mell-fud
Lound
Leund
Lowestoft
Low-es-toff
Mattishall
Ledjet
Methwold
Muel
Mettingham
Mett-en-gum
Monewden
Mun-ey-don
Moulton
Molht'n
Mundford
Munfer
Mutford
Mutt-fud
Narford
Narfer
Naughton
Now-t'on
Neatishead
Netes-shed
Necton
Nayton
Nedging
Negen
Needham >Market
Needum
Newbourn
New-bonn
Northwold
Norrel
Norwich
Narge or Nurritch
Oakley
Ogly (with long O)
Onehouse
One-us
Oulton
Oleton
Ousden
Owsd'n
Ovington
Overton
Pakenham
Poik-num/Pake-num
Pettaugh
Fetter
Pickenham
Picknum
Postwick
Pozzick
Rattlesden
Ratelson
Redlingfield
Red-'n-ful
Rickinghall
Rick-en-hall
Ringshall
Rinn-shul
Rumburgh
Rum-brer
Rushall
Rhueshall
Saham
Same
Santon Downham
Downham
Scoulton
Scowton
Semer
See-mer
Shipmeadow
Shipp-medder
Shouldham
Showld'm
Snettisham
Snets'm
Southwold
Sole or Soul
Stanford
Stanfer
Stiffkey
Stewkey
Stoke by Nayland
Stoke Benn-ay-lunm
Stonham Aspal
St'n'm Arsp l
Stradbroke
Strubbock
Stratford St Andrew
Stratt-fer
Stratford St Mary
Stratt-fiidd
Sturston
Stusson hixoe
Wixer
Sudbury
Suddbreh (clipped as'eh?')
Sweffling
Swuffl'n
Swilland
Swillun
Talconeston
Tackleston
Tannington
Tannert'n
Tattingstone
Tattest'n
Taverham
Taberham
Thelnetham
Feltam
Thetford
Thetfor
Thorington
Torrint'n
Thrandeston
Transt'n; Framson
Threxton
Trexon
Thrigby
Trigby
Thwaite
Twaite
Tibbmham
fid'n'm
Tuddenham
Tudd-num
Ubbeston
Upp-st'n
Wacton
Woughton
Waldingfield
Wonnerfeld or Wdnnerful
Waldringfield
Wonnerfel or Wunnafiil
Walsham le Willows
Wall-sum
Wangford
wangfer
Wantisden
Worn-s'n or Wonsden
Wattisfield-
Wassf'l
WestBastwick
West Barrstwick
Westerfield
Wesserfel
Whelnetham
WellNeeth-um
Wherstead
Wursted or Wusted
Willingham
-Willigub
Witnesham
Wittleshum
Wordwell
Woddle
Worlington
Woll-'n-t'n
Worlingworth
Warl-'n-wuth
Wratting
Ratt'n
Wymondham
Windham

1 Comments:

Blogger Andrew Clarke said...

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.

7:36 pm  

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