Oregon/Ukraine/Beijing

[feldstei]

As a native Newarker, I wince at Oregon when the final vowel is a schwa,
and I hate the syllabification Wi-scon-sin, which deprives the second
syllable of its much needed aspirated [k].

But why should regional dialects offend in the proper nouns only, yet
be fully acceptable in the domain of common nouns?  Can it be that our
prejudices are tolerated in the case of proper nouns, but remain suppressed
in the case of other words?

R. Feldstein