Geoduck (1882)>McLoughlin

[Beverly Flanigan]

Hasn't our own Peter McGraw written of this pronunciation confusion with 
ref. to his own name?  McGraw/ McGrath/..., as I recall?  I suspect the 
Irish? original had the [x] pronunciation, which changed in English 
variously to /f/, /th/, or /k/, or was vocalized.  Am I on the right track?

At 01:28 PM 11/7/2002 -0800, you wrote:
>There is considerable controversy about the pronunciation of the name of 
>the Canadian-turned-American general superintendent of the Hudson's Bay 
>Company who built Fort Vancouver and has become known as the "Father of 
>Oregon" --John McLoughlin.   For nearly 40 years I have heard almost only 
>McLouFlin (disregard the vowels) and I believe that is the pronunciation 
>that most Portlanders use.  The name of the major street in Portland is, 
>as far as I know, called only  that--I have never heard it called by any 
>other pronunciation (I even remember saying McLouThlin as a kid). However, 
>the folks at Fort Vancouver and the McLoughlin House (as well as one 
>version of the Encyclopedia Americana) say McLouKlin.  One native 
>Portlander ranger did admit to me that she has changed to 'K' since she 
>started working for 'The House.'  I did some readings to try to find out 
>what the good doctor was called when he was alive and it seems that it was 
>'k.'  How could the pronunciation of one man's na!
>me have changed so quickly and extensively?
>Fritz
>
> >Some of those named Dougherty use the "Dockerty" pronunciation, which is
> >exactly analogous formally (I think) although perhaps not analogous
> >historically.
>
> >I would speculate that the spelling was invented following a pronunciation
> >on the order of /jugiogeni/ in some local Amerind language. Possibly the
> >current pronunciation originated as a spelling pronunciation by analogy
> >with "Dougherty" or some other name, or from a Scots spelling pronunciation
> >(like /sOx/ for "sough"). This is just off the top of my head; I cannot
> >find any authoritative information on this right now.
>
>¯> Doug Wilson