Good for you, Fred, I agree. I would add that our ancestors were no different, and the way a Jordan from Surrey Co. VA spoke --or for that matter, wrote-- his own name, was NOT necessarily the same way his Jordan "cousin" in Rockbridge Co. did. --Joanne John Frederick Fausz <[log in to unmask]> wrote: "CORRECTLY" is exactly the issue. Local traditions, regional dialects, and outright ignorance all play a role, but who really "OWNS" pronuncia- tion, and need it be "exclusive"? Who decides? Must a national network news anchor based in NYC and educated at an Ivy League university research every local placename pronunciation that the citizens of one state embrace but that would seem odd indeed to the rest of the U.S. population? In Kentucky we say LOOLVLE for Louisville, in Maryland, they say Balmer for Baltimore, and there are multiple versions for New Orleans and St. Louis across America. Even Missourians can't agree whether it should be a long E sound or an AH for the final syllable of Missouri! Historians are attuned to regional variations and differing points of view, but this discussion has convinced me that WRITING rather than SPEAKING is the preferred method for conveying comprensible information to the largest possible audience! Fred Fausz St. Louis To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html