What’s in a Place Name?
You all know that Minnesotans talk funny. Of course, everybody talks funny from some other perspective, and Minnesotans are no funnier than, say, Texans or New Yorkers. But what most people don’t realize is that the funniest thing about Minnesotans is how they pronounce place names. This is especially true of French place names, owing to a deep-seated, subconscious resentment having something to do with the fact that the French were the first Europeans to live and work in this area.
I just learned a new example of a butchered place name:
Look at that place name and pronounce it properly in French. Don’t worry if your French pronunciation is not great. Just give it a try.
OK, now, here’s how this place name is pronounced in Minnesotan:
(Lee as in Robert E. Lee.)
For years after I moved to Minnesota, I noticed that people had a lot to say about a lake somewhere called “Millacks.” The walleye in Millacks were of great concern. Tourism on Millacks was important to the economy. The governor went fishing on Millacks. Millacks, Millacks, Millacks. That’s all I heard about. (The walleye have apparently gotten better, and we don’t hear as much about that any more.)
In the meantime, I kept noticing on the map of Minnesota a big, giant lake called “Mille Lacs” that no one seemed to ever talk about.
My absolute favorite example of this is a lake out west, not far from Alexandria. This is a case where I actually needed to ask directions at one point and was unable to do so.
“Is this the road to Lac l’Homme Dieu?” I said to the person in the gas station, applying a not too heavy French accent….
“Lac l’Homme Dieu? I’m looking for Lac l’Homme Dieu.”
“Don’t know it,” the clerk said with no malice or snark. I had simply pronounced the name of this lake so incorrectly that it was impossible for me to be understood.
It turned out that the lake across the street was the lake I was looking for, known in Minnesota as “Lake Lahamadoo.”
Minnesotans also butcher German place names. New Prague rhymes with Don’t Brag. Let’s not even touch Native American place names. For now.
Up by the cabin, we have Pike Point. How do you think that is pronounced??? Try “Pike eeee.” Pikey Point.
Apparently, Biscay is pronounced “Biskee” (rhymes with “whiskey”).
Well, I suppose I shouldn’t talk, having grown up in All Benny (Albany), situated equidistant between Sken Ect Ady (Schenectady), Kada-ross (Kayaderosseras) and Cooks Acky (Coxsackie). Or having lived later pretty near Woo Stah (Worcester).
In the end, this is all cultural. Or, to be more exact, it all depends on what Schul/School you were shed ooled to go to.
Add your own funny place names below:
Tags: place name
This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 at 6:15 am and is filed under Greg Laden, Local History. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.