: Learn to speak Wisconsin

[Dennis R. Preston]

Or we could change all non-Native American names
(not just the Anglo-Saxon ones, although I would
very much hate losing "Kossuth") back to Native
American ones and let Native Americans slap
anybody who pronounces them wrong.

Wouldn't this be historically fairer?

dInIs

>---------------------- Information from the mail
>header -----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM>
>Subject:      Re: : Learn to speak Wisconsin
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>We should change all Indian origin names to Anglo-Saxon names to make it
>easy for everyone to learn and speak them. Then we'd never have to "slap"
>anyone.
>
>Scot
>
>
>>From: Susan Rosine <basenjiluvr at MSN.COM>
>>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>Subject: Re: : Learn to speak Wisconsin
>>Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2007 11:20:21 -0600
>>
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
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>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       Susan Rosine <basenjiluvr at MSN.COM>
>>Subject:      Re: : Learn to speak Wisconsin
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Guess Chicagoans would have a problem in Washington state too, with its NW
>>Indian names, including:
>>Puyallup
>>Mukilteo
>>Sequim
>>Yakima
>>Skagit Island
>>Snoqualmie
>>Sammamish
>>Issaquah
>>
>>Date:    Fri, 7 Sep 2007 22:10:17 -0400
>>From:    Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OHIO.EDU>
>>Subject: Re: Learn to speak Wisconsin
>>MIME-Version: 1.0
>>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>>
>>These pronunciations are no problem for us Minnesotans; we have an
>>abundance of Native Indian place names ourselves (Ojibwe and Dakota Sioux).
>>
>>At 09:53 PM 9/7/2007, you wrote:
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>>  >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  >Poster:       Tom Zurinskas <truespel at HOTMAIL.COM>
>>  >Subject:      Learn to speak Wisconsin
>>  >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >
>>  >The below from the Chicago Tribune
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >Learn to speak Wisconsin
>>  >Posted by Toni Salama at 8 a.m. CDT
>>  >
>>  >Some Wisconsin place names are downright intimidating. If they're not
>>  >out-and-out tongue-twisters, their spelling can stump even the most
>>  >lingually gifted among us.
>>  >
>>  >I guess you have to expect that in a state whose very name, Wisconsin, is
>>  >the English spelling of a French version of an Indian name for the river
>>  >that runs through the center of the state.
>>  >
>>  >To the rescue comes MissPronouncer.com, where a click on Wisconsin place
>>  >names is rewarded with audio of the correct pronunciation.
>>  >
>>  >Among the trickiest problems solved:
>>  >
>>  >Ashwaubenon
>>  >Chequamegon
>>  >Kaukauna
>>  >Kinnickinnic
>>  >Menomonie
>>  >Mequon
>>  >Oconomowoc
>>  >Prairie du Chien
>>  >St. Nazianz
>>  >Trempealeau
>>  >Weyauwega
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL5+
>>  >See truespel.com - and the 4  truespel books plus "Occasional Poems" at
>>  >authorhouse.com.
>>
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--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
15C Morrill Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-4736
preston at msu.edu

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org