----- Original Message ----- From: "Connie Lapallo" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2007 8:07 PM Subject: [VA-HIST] Jordan's Journey > Samuel would have pronounced his name "JERR-den." His ancestors probably > came to England from France after the Hundred Years war. This distinct > pronounciation survived in Virginia for many years, and is distinguishable > from the ancient family of English Jordans who pronounce it more as we > would expect: "JOR-den". When I was growing up in Richmond, there were no JOR-dens. My mother's grandmother was a JER-den, and the grocery store at the corner of Forest Hill and Westover Hills Blvd. was JER-den's. JER-den has fallen by the wayside, a victim of radio and TV, just like the real pronunciation of Henrico, which is Hen-REC-oh, not Hen-RIKE-oh. --- Ann Avery Hunter Winston-Salem, NC To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html