What's with the pronunciation of Louisville by Louisville local media? (Lexington: transplants, school)

[DubbleT]

If you aren't going to whole heartedly go with the 'proper' French pronunciation (and that would NOT be Lou-ee-ville the way many people tend to say it) you might as well give it the local flavor. I agree that the correct way to way to say it is whatever pronunciation the residents have historically given it.
...and clique, not click, please, especially in an argument involving the French language.

[almondding]

Originally Posted by tuckessee

I pronounce it lul-vul, as do the majority of locals here in southern Kentucky. Some will add a syllable and say loo-uh-vul, but no self respecting Kentuckian pronounces it Looey-vill. That's nails on a chalk board, and for all those arguing the correct pronunciation is that, history says the correct pronunciation is by the locals, not what General language declares. Those who think they separate themselves from the ignorant by staunchly refusing to acknowledge the mass pronunciation only further the argument that they are hoighty, probably annoying individuals. In Kentucky, -ville becomes -vul in the typical drawl, and the prefix gets blended into the suffix (Russellville becomes Russa-vul, Louisville to Lul-vul, Brownsville to Brownsvul). Even the most educated doctors that are native to the area still use these pronunciations. If lazy talk annoys you that much, and you are too dense to infer intelligence from somebody's nonverbal cues as much as their grasp of linguistic intricacies, then brother ya ought to head on up to some place like Wisconsin or Canada where you can bust a blood vessel making sure ea-ch sy-lla-ble gets com-plete con-cen-tra-tion or otherwise be misunderstood. As much as yall try to separate yourselves from the rest of the Commonwealth (save Derby weekend of course, when y'all try to do your best Foghorn Leghorn) you're still a part of Kentucky, and should try to take in a little of the culture rather than try to blindly steer a state's image in fear of being embarrassed in front of the rest of the country.

The system only let me give you 1 rep point but I'd give you 100 for that if I could!

[capcat]

Originally Posted by almondding

The system only let me give you 1 rep point but I'd give you 100 for that if I could!

Same here. Language and dialect are a part of culture, and culture matters. A person who isn't aware of the culture is one thing, but the person who knows and tries to change it is awkward.

Furthermore, dialect has nothing to do with intelligence, though it has been alluded to in this thread. Hard to believe there are people who are still confused about that.

[raj kapoor]

Originally Posted by capcat

Same here. Language and dialect are a part of culture, and culture matters. A person who isn't aware of the culture is one thing, but the person who knows and tries to change it is awkward.

Furthermore, dialect has nothing to do with intelligence, though it has been alluded to in this thread. Hard to believe there are people who are still confused about that.

Well said. One word I kept waiting for I seemed to miss; COLLOQUIALISM.

Yes, it is that word that justifies even the most awkward of pronunciations, when performed by a local. Let us not forget the general and legitimate rule of proper language also. A proper name can be pronounced in any fashion. One only defers when told a name by the person or close associates. I'm sure the king would be enchanted by our southern enhancements to both the English and the French. In fact, by adding Scottish and Irish to these you have the foundation for the southern dialect.

Do you remember when NASH-VILLE was still NAISH-VUL? I do, and cringe knowing they have sold their heritage for a pot of gold from the tourist industry etc.

New Orleans is another great example.

But don't forget that we in the south are not the only ones who speak in colloquialisms. Visited NU YAWK LATELY?

LOL,
RAJ

[Challenger76]

Originally Posted by celtblood

Since Louisville is named for King Louis (Loo-ee) IV of France, there is only one correct pronunciation, and that is "Loo-ee-ville". Anything else is simply wrong.

Of course, one could argue that "Lewis-ville" might be correct phonetically, same as the local mispronunciations of Versailles and Paris. I have never understood how folks came to say "Loo-uh-vuhl". It isn't even close, and it sounds incredibly stupid, especially when television broadcasters and news people follow suit and butcher the name. These are supposed to be educated professionals, so we know they're one of two things... stupid or willfully ignorant. Either way, it sort of undermines any faith we're expected to place in their capabilities.

It hasn't always been this way. I know for a fact as recently as the 1960's (back when people took enough pride in themselves to at least try to speak properly), the correct pronunciation was heard far more frequently. I recall that in the '70's, local TV personality Ange Humphrey mounted a sort of campaign to encourage the incorrect pronunciation, and perhaps that caused it to spread. The bottom line is, while certain locals may think it's cute, cool, or some sort of "click" thing, to those who appreciate proper enunciation, and to outsiders who aren't impressed with locals who can't pronounce the name of their own city correctly, it really makes Louisville look bad.

Since city politicians are always eager to waste more taxpayer money on various projects, perhaps they should mount a new campaign to teach the general population (and most local TV personalities) how to say "Louisville" correctly. At least that portion of funds would go to a good cause.

I too have never understood the Loo-uh-vul pronunciation, and I'd feel silly saying it that way. But I'm a Yankee. I guess it's just a culture thing with the residents.

[MissSoBelle]

I graduated from U of L and had been living in the North at the time. I pronounced it Lou-ee-ville when I first moved there, but was corrected right away. I read somewhere that the correct pronunciation of a city is how the natives pronounce it...so Lou-ah-vuhl is how I said it after that. I drew the line at pronouncing iron as arn though. LOL!

[Jzer21]

Originally Posted by raj kapoor

Do you remember when NASH-VILLE was still NAISH-VUL? I do, and cringe knowing they have sold their heritage for a pot of gold from the tourist industry etc.

That's a bit much.

[UofLCardFan08]

Originally Posted by Guineas

But why do Louisville TV anchors and radio stations pronounce it as "Lou-ee-ville"?

Because that is the technically correct pronunciation. It was named after one of the King Louis'. Hence...Looey Ville.

I think the local pronunciation might be an accent thing. While I know this not not the right way to say it, I would look like an out-of-towner if I didn't.

[btownboss4]

Its pronounced University 6

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Rafo1981

I always grew up saying LOUIE-VILLE. Many people say loo-evuhl. I find that the differences arise mainly from socio-econmical factors. My mom, the native between my parents, has a masters in linguistics and came from an upper-middle class family. She used the french pronunciation, which is what you will here on TV and radio. Neither is wrong, it just depends on what household you grew up in or what neighborhood.

I don't care how rich someone is, I have never met a Louisville native pronounce it "Lou-e-ville". That is a dead giveaway someone isn't a native. This is true whether they're from Cali Park or Lyndon.

Besides, the French pronunciation isn't even "Louie ville" because the French wouldn't utilize the American Dark L to end the word "ville". That's not even a feature of French.